Damaged Hearts
by Stardust Ray
Summary: Tired of his married life, Squall leaves Rinoa to explore the festivities of the single life,however, after four long years he returns, but Rinoa has managed to cope without him and no longer wants anything to do with him. [AU Squinoa]
1. Memories of You and I

**_ Damaged Hearts

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_****_Chapter 1- Memories of You and I_**

* * *

-_**I**-_

Here I am…lying down and looking at the ceiling. I remember when I used to do this with her back then. We used to look at the ceiling and pretend we were outside under that astounding night sky, looking up at the moon and stars. I miss those days when everything just felt so right.

Our wedding, how could I forget about that? I will never forget that day. She was so beautiful in her white gown. For a moment, she looked like someone else, but then I realized that no one could look as wonderful as she did.

Everyone wished us our best and hoped we would have a happy life. We _were_ happy, _too_ happy. I had finally done something right in all my stupid life, _finally_.

But words can hurt…and I'll never forget what that pig of a father told me the night before our wedding.

"…_Squall, are you sure this is the right thing to do? You **just** turned eighteen. Don't you think you need sometime alone? You two are **too young** to be married."_

Back then, I had brushed it off and thought nothing of his words. But two years after our wedding, those words began to haunt me. Everyday I would routinely wake up, get dressed, go to work, come home, and eat. Sometimes, it felt like we even had our _kisses_ on a schedule as well. I started to not enjoy that life at all.

The more I fantasized about the outside world, the more I began to wish I were there. As time progressed, my life with Rinoa grew dull. It got to the point where I didn't even say good morning to her; I would get up and go.

And I left.

But I can't blame her…no way can I blame, Rinoa. It was never her fault to begin with. She was not the reason I left, and I wanted her to understand that. I left because I wanted to see the life I was supposedly missing out on. All the wonderful things in life that I had supposedly lost to the married life, according to my father, I had to see it for myself.

No more of her nagging, and no more of our predictable days together; I was ready to give it up for something fresh.

I kissed her cheek and silently said my goodbyes; _I will only be gone for a short while._ Yeah, right. I had completely lied to myself that night. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months…and months into years: four years. I had lost myself in that new world, and no matter how many times I tried I could _not_ bring myself to go home to her again.

I know Rinoa, I knew her just how I thought I knew myself. She would forgive me. No matter what I did, Rinoa forgave me, and I was careful not to do anything stupid that would hurt or upset her. So I _know_ she'll forgive me.

But, I didn't want to go back to her the way I was. I was filthy. That's when my life rushed passed me, and more doubt began to cling to my chest. I drowned myself in alcohol whenever I thought about her.

Then one day, I hated that life too.

…I have to get back to her now. Before I lose myself again, I have to see Rinoa's face. I miss her terribly, but what will she say? She'll forgive me, right? She has to…

So here I am…standing outside of our house. I walked all the way here. I can see that the lights are on and she's probably made dinner. It's just like Rinoa to make dinner so early in the day. She always liked to enjoy dessert on a stomach that wasn't stuffed with food from supper only seconds before. She was so predictable.

It looks like she's left a curtain open, so I guess I'll take a peak. I want to see if she's changed, if she's happy. I see the dinner table, food, that's a lot of food for only her. And…Rinoa…there she is, setting the tables with plates. Oh God is she beautiful, more beautiful than she was when I left. Her hair has gotten longer, and her body is more round and full…it suits her real well. She's smiling now. Rinoa…I miss that smile, I miss you so much.

Before I can see anything more, someone _else_ closes the curtain, but I couldn't tell who or _what_ it was. …Who was that?

* * *

_**-You-**_

Fouryears have passed since he went away. I wonder where he could be? Not a day goes by that I don't blame myself for his departure.

…No, it isn't my fault. I didn't do anything wrong.

He left me in the night. I thought he had gotten up to use the bathroom, but a lot of time had passed and he still hadn't returned. The way he kissed my cheek that night…it was so tender, and it didn't feel like the other times.

In a way, I knew something would happen, but I didn't want to believe myself.

That man, Squall, had been the best thing to ever happen to me. When I met him seven years ago, he never even talked to me. However, as time went on, he grew more and more attached to me. We fell in love, and decided to get married.

I was so happy, and I had never been more satisfied than when I was with Squall. I loved him, and I did my wifely duties… I just don't understand what I did that was so wrong. Why did he leave me? I have been nothing but good to him, and I gave him space when he needed it. I just don't understand why.

I had finally stopped asking myself why…and began to focus on my _life_. I needed to do something for myself for a change because I don't ever recall him doing anything for me. There is nothing that he's done that was right.

"Mommy! Look at my picture!" Except for my little angel. She's our daughter…I guess Squall did do _something_ right. She's the only person who has kept me sane these last two years. "It's me an' you!" She's so excited…and those eyes…they're his eyes, even her hair is almost as brown as his. Truthfully, she looks more like both of us. I better look at the picture before the poor child gets her feelings hurt.

"Rori, that's a very pretty picture! I'll hang it on the refrigerator, okay?"

"Thanks, mommy!" Because her speech is so well for someone as young as herself, Rori has been complimented often. People just love to hear her talk, and she loves the attention. I'm so proud of her.

"Ma, look at this one. This is for you." I took the picture and to my surprise, it looks like a male.

"Who's this?" I asked and she giggled against her hand.

Rori whispered in her little baby voice. "Seifa." I smiled because I now know who the male is supposed to be.

Yes, I have begun dating again…well, not by choice. Seifer's a real nice man and he's so good with Rori. She loves having him around, and I'm glad that she can talk to someone other than me. He seems so natural with her, and the two of them go on hours at a time having fun around the house.

Tonight, he's coming over and we're having dinner. I've been busy all week long trying to get things I would need from the store. I was in the kitchen trying to prepare the food by dinnertime. So far, I'm doing real well. I'm down to one dish and then dessert will be my main focus.

I'm so nervous! This will be the first time I've cook for any man besides…

Forget about Squall, this meal is for Seifer. I hope he likes the meal because I put my heart into preparing it today.

- - - - - - - -

Look at him, playing with Rori again. She's laughing so much. I love to hear her voice.

I set the tables and look at the two of them playing again. I can't help but to smile whenever I see those two together. Oh well, I guess I better get them to the table now. I put my hands on my hips and tilt my head to the side; this always seems to get their attention.

Seifer smirked and got up from the floor. He closed the curtain and pulled back chairs for Rori and me. "Thank you, Seifer."

"Thank you, Seifa!" Rori copied me.

"My pleasure."

And with that, we sat and enjoyed our meal. He seemed to be pleased with my cooking.

Finally, I've done something right. I have a small family, and we're so happy. I never want to see Squall again because he'll just ruin everything for me like he did before.

I _never_ want to see him again.

_**

* * *

**__**Once upon an Author's Words:**_

* * *

**Hello and allow me to explain…**

**Both Squall and Rinoa narrate the first 3 chapters, but the chapters following these will be in 3rd person's view. As fun as it is to have Rinoa and Squall's thoughts always open, I like to have control over everyone's mind. **

**Oh, about Rori—she's three years old and can talk really well. (My niece was talking well at three so I know its possible!) Don't worry, she won't use anything more than eight to ten letters long, haha.**

**This is a story I'm nervous about…it was written awhile back, but I figured why not post it up? This is my way of relaxing after two action stories in a row. Because I haven't tried my luck at an all out romance, I'll just settle to make things complicated… I couldn't resist _not _posting it up, so flame me if it's stupid, lol. **

**Don't worry, I'm working on a few other action romance stories, Stardust Ray isn't finished yet! **

**Anyway, let me know what you think of it so I can continue, but keep in mind that I'll update once in awhile (I'm terribly busy lately…)**

**Please leave a review if you're interested. Thank you.**

**_StardustRay_**


	2. Return

**Disclaimer: ...Need I even say what you all already know! ...Of course I don't own it!

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****_Chapter 2- Return_**

* * *

_Now what am I supposed to do? _

I turned away from the window and headed to the hotel of Balamb. She and I had moved to Balamb because we both grew up pretty roughly in Deling. Her father was rich and I had nothing, anyone could understand the trouble we went through before and after we were married.

I don't even like to think _that_ far back into our past together. We went through so much pain, but we survived. It was our success that kept us together. Some say we were just rebellious kids, but we both knew we were in love: Nothing could stop us.

The only thing that _did_ stop us was me…it was always about me. I never took the time to actually see what I had in front of me, until I went away. Now that I'm back, I realize _this_ is where I want to be. _She_ is my home. However…

"Who was that?" I felt my hands trembling as I used them to comfort my face. _Rinoa must be seeing someone. Why? Why would she do that to me? She knew that I would be back… _"Come on, Squall…you left without saying anything. You didn't even leave a letter. What was she supposed to do?"

I lied back onto my bed and closed my eyes hoping to erase the image of mystery man closing the curtains, but to no avail. It didn't help that I could see the scene replay in my mind over and over, almost beginning haunt me. _Has Rinoa forgotten about me?_ The thought was too much for me to bear, and my heart instantly fell.

No…I won't let her forget. It's too hard to forget! Whether she likes it or not, I'm going to be in her life. I have to speak to her again, and I can't just let go of her now. I'm too close. Three months ago, I didn't even have the courage to come back to Balamb, but now…I'm here. I'm finally here. Come on, Squall…get yourself together. First thing tomorrow morning, I'll go right up to her and… And? I don't even know what I'm going to do…

No, I won't give up. I can't. And I will never forgive myself if that mystery man takes her from me. Rinoa, I still love you.

* * *

"Hey, Rinoa!" My good friend Selphie recently moved to Balamb. She and her fiancé, Irvine, who is so dedicated to her, decided that Balamb would be a nice place to live. It's relaxing and warmer here, rather than that barbarically snowy, Trabia which is her hometown. I guess she instantly fell in love with it when Irvine and I brought her to Balamb for a vacation sometime two years ago. 

"Selphie!" We hugged like long lost friends, but in reality, I just spoke to her two days ago. She needed to borrow some sugar from me. I joked and told her to be sure to bring my sugar back, every last grain, even the sugar that she used to bake the cake!

"And look at this pretty little girl, Irvy! Where did she come from?"

"Hey, Sefie, I'm here all the time!" Rori said while jumping up into Selphie's extended arms.

"Hi, Irvine. How are you doing?" I had asked Irvine with a grin which he greatly returned.

"So far so good. I'm going to start work at the carpentry place down the street."

"Oh really? That's great! I'm happy for you."

"Irvine's not too excited about it, you know he had that dream about owning that Gun shop." Selphie always likes to tease him.

"Hey, Sefie, one step at a time, eh?" But Irvine knows she never really means any harm.

"I know, I know. Well, we don't want to keep you any longer." She told me.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks, Selphie." I almost forgot that I was supposed to leave Rori at their house until later today. "Rori, I have to go now, so be a good girl while I'm gone, okay?"

"I will!" Rori said while running to my arms. I kissed her forehead and squeezed her tightly in my arms.

"I love you, Rori."

"I love you too, mommy!" Those words were all I needed to hear. I smiled and left Rori with two wonderful people who were my friends. Selphie had become Rori's nanny because she felt that keeping the child would help to prepare her for her own baby someday. Irvine always seemed to become nervous whenever Selphie mentioned kids, and he'd wryly smile then make an escape from the room.

I walked back to my house. It wasn't too far away, just a couple of blocks down from Selphie and Irvine's home. It's always a nice walk too. The breeze is just right. I remember when he and I first took this walk together…

I can't stand it…will I ever be free from him? Whenever I finally make progress, that's when thoughts of him begin to cloud my mind. I have to let go of what will never be. Besides, I have Seifer now and he's all I need.

* * *

What am I going to do? There's that doubt on my mind again. I'm standing right in front of our door and I don't even have the courage to walk to it and knock. I…can't do it.

I don't get it. I want to see her, but I feel like something is holding me back. I have to see her again.

I sighed and took a seat on our, no…her doorsteps. After a few minutes, I heard someone walking down the road in front of the house, and when I looked up…I could have died happy.

It was her, Rinoa, looking at me strangely and slowing up her pace. I stood from the stairs, took a deep breath, and licked my lips to get ready to speak, but she took off running in the opposite direction before I could say anything.

"Rinoa!" I ran after her and caught up to her, she was never that fast of a runner. When she finally looked at my face, I saw that she had started crying. "Rin."

"…What do you want?" She said angrily, but I can't blame her. I'm angry with myself. I haven't been this close to her in ages…I just want to stare at her for a few moments.

"You are so beautiful." Those were the only words I could speak. Yeah, I know I could've said something else, maybe a 'hello' or something. But I was being honest. I reached for her face, but she backed away from me.

"You came here to tell me that?" More scold was present in her voice.

"H-how are you, Rin?"

"I'm doing fine. I'm doing just fine. I can take care of myself, and I don't need you." Surprisingly, the tears were gone and she spoke so clearly that I was beginning to believe her. "Why are you here?"

"I…I came here to apologize and…I." There I go, freezing up my words again. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? That's it? You're sorry?" She said while she put her hands on my chest and pushed me back. I felt myself go back quickly, but I caught my balance before I could fall. "No! You can't just leave for, not one, but four years and expect me to forgive you! I hate you, Squall!"

What a shame, the first time I hear her use my name in ages…and those were the words she chose to use it with. She ran away from me again, but this time I let her go on.

Rinoa, I'm sorry.

In any case, it looks like I'll have to keep that hotel room booked for a _long_ time.

* * *

I hate him! It's no wonder I've been thinking about him a lot more lately. My instincts were trying to warn me that he was returning. I don't want to talk to him. He can't just leave and then expect me to forgive him so easily! 

On papers and documents, I'm known as Mrs. Rinoa Leonhart…but everyone who personally knows me or those that have recently met me would know that I prefer my mother's name, Heartilly. Yes, I was originally Rinoa Caraway, but I rebelled against my father and changed it to Heartilly, of course, this was only done off the record.

Just like I said goodbye to my father's name, I'll say goodbye to his. I need to get to the town hall and file a complaint, an arrest warrant, a divorce or something.

_A divorce…?_

* * *

**_Once Upon an Author's Words:_**

**_

* * *

_**

_Hey everyone, Thanks for the reviews Amy! And alsoto those who've put this story on their favs, thanks!_

_I'm going to post up the 3rd chapter as well, but a little later. If you guys don't mind, I'd like to put this story on hold. (I really didn't want to post it up so early...bad mistake.) I have a lot on my heart right now, and I'd like to take a break, so please be patient with me. Support will be greatly appreciated. _

_Another thing, if this plot is similar to anyone elses' please let me know, and I'll immediately delete this story. I don't want anyone blaming me for plagiarism, okay? _

_As you might have guessed, I'm not feeling too well at the moment. Honestly, I need a vacation, lol.But,Thanks for your time!_

**_StardustRay_**


	3. Tell Me

_**Chapter 3: Tell Me**_

* * *

I realize now that I made the wrong move. I should have told her something other than how beautiful she looked. I swear, I couldn't think of _anything_ else to say, it was like my mind went blank. I _wanted_ to tell her how much I _miss _her. 

It's been three days since our encounter and already I'm convinced that she's _done_ with me. I don't want to seem like a bother to her, so I'm giving her a little time. Perhaps she's calmed down since then... I hope so. She's probably thinking that I'll leave again, but that's not the case. I ran from her once, and I am _not_ looking forward to doing that again. I miss her so much, and the thought of getting _home_ is what motivated me to make it through so far. I'm not giving up yet.

I'll go by to see her again today…hopefully it's not too soon…

-------

When I finally reached her house, I realized she wasn't home. The lights were off and the door was locked. I still have my key, but judging by our last encounter, she would probably have me arrested.

I decided to walk through Balamb and go sight seeing; after all, it's been awhile since I've been home. So much has changed, yet things still look the same. I should take a look around the town and enjoy the calm breeze.

I wonder if Zell is still here at the Auto Parts Mechanics shop? I guess I'll go visit him.

-----

The old building hadn't changed at all. It was still there with its garage door wide open and oil stains on the ground. Everything smelled like old motor oil and gas. I don't understand how mechanics can put up with this smell for so long. It's like they become immune to the stench or what have you.

Anyway, it looked like no one was there and I turned away.

"Hey! Hey!" I heard a familiar voice. I looked back and saw Zell walking out of the shop and wiping his hands on a dirty old rag, wearing his dark blue slacks; the usual uniform. "_Squall?_ Is that you, man?"

"Zell, how's it going?"

"Hey, I'm good! Where have you been?" We greeted each other with the standard semi hug and pat on the back, it was all we had to do.

"Around."

"Wow… I can't believe I'm talkin' to you right now." He was happily smiling until he realized my answer. _Around…_ And I guess it reminded him of my immediate dilemma. "So, have you seen her?"

"…Yeah."

"You got a lot of nerve coming back here, Squall. You hurt her so much, man. I'm surprised you're not in jail right now."

I looked at the ground sighing, "I know, but…"

"Don't worry about it. You're my pal, and I know things are rough for you right now. But listen Squall, you shouldn't be here anymore."

"Zell, don't tell me that. I _have_ to do this. You don't know how long it took me to get _this_ far, so don't try and scare me off now, okay?"

"I understand… Well anyway." His smile had returned. "Let me show you a few of the new engines I've been working on."

"Sure, why not?" I followed him inside. Hopefully this could ease my mind of a few worries for the time being…

* * *

Ever since I told Selphie about Squall being back in the picture, she's offered to keep Rori for me quite often. I guess she knows that I'm bound to be depressed and won't want Rori to see me that way. Selphie's right, I _don't_ want Rori to see me this way, but I also…haven't told Squall about her yet… In a way…I really don't want him to know. 

So I packed Rori's bags and told her that she was going to have fun at Selphie's house for a few days. In three days, I should have Squall out of my life for good.

I'm just glad she's really excited and happy to go. Rori hadn't whined or done anything rebellious when I dropped her off; instead, she was just grateful.

I did my best to look happy, and I guess I did a pretty good job at it too… Rori didn't suspect a thing. When I waved her off, I let out a sigh. Once Selphie's door closed, I felt my heart ache.

For _four_ years, I've tried to let go of him and tell myself that I'm too good for him. But when he spoke to me the other day…I couldn't help but feel the need to embrace him. He looked _so_…good too; how many times I had dreamt he sneaked into my room and held me tightly in his arms like he used to do. Squall…

But, I can't take him back so easily, otherwise he'll think it's okay to leave me and will probably do it all over again.

If that's how it's going to be, then I definitely won't to take him back… at all.

The only thing I want out of him is an explanation. I want him to explain why he left me, and to tell me what I did wrong. That's all I want him to do.

-------

When I made it home, I saw Seifer's car outside, and I saw him leaning against its side. He smiled at me and pushed himself from the car.

"Hey sweetheart. Where have you been?" He cooed as he embraced me.

"I brought Rori over to Selphie's."

"Oh really? Does that mean you have _other_ plans?"

"_Well_…" Yes Rinoa, you have those papers to send out and you have to talk with Squall, well not really talk but... _Whatever _just tell him you're busy so you can give yourself a day's rest to actually _plan_ something to do! "I don't really have any plans, you want to come inside?" So much for that… Way to go, Rinoa.

"Nah, I have to run, but I came over to ask you out tonight. And with Rori at Selphie's, I guess you'll say yes?" He grinned, faint dimples appearing on the sides of his cheeks, so adorable…

"Hmm…where are you taking me?"

"Just to the restaurant. It'll be nice."

It's been a long time since I've gone out, hasn't it? …What reason do I have not to? If I stay here all night, I'll lose my mind. "Sure, I'll go."

"Great, I'll pick you up at seven."

"Alright, it's a date." I said, and Seifer kissed my mouth softly. He pulled away and walked over to the driver's side of his red sports car. It was a nice car, I had to admit, but it looked too sporty for me. I have a daughter, and I don't think that car suits people with children.

"See you later, Rinoa." He said as he pulled off. I smiled and waved goodbye. Now up these dreadful steps of mine, and into my lonely house.

----------

It's six forty-five. I wonder when he'll be here. I'm glad he's taking me out tonight. I'll do anything I can to get my mind off Squall.

I'm practically ready. All I had to do was take a bath, put on an evening gown, brush my hair, and freshen up a bit more.

Someone's knocking at the door, it must be him. When I opened the door, I saw Seifer there with a white rose. He was smiling peculiarly at me and I could smell his cologne from where I stood in the doorway. It smelled good, but I think too much of that scent will make my head hurt. I hope I survive tonight.

"A rose for the lady."

"_Wow_, for _me_, you shouldn't have." We laughed softly together as I took the rose from his hand. I don't really care for roses. I'd rather purple tulips; I love to see _wild _tulips. Squall always took me to Winhill for vacations and we'd sit and stare at the endless fields together, just the two of us.

"Rinoa, how are you feeling?" Seifer's gruff voice woke me from my daydream.

"I'm okay. Thanks for asking." I moved the rose to my face and took in its gentle aroma.

Seifer led me out of the house and took the keys from my hand. He locked the front door and walked me to his car. Ah, sweet chivalry…

We drove in his car to the local Balamb restaurant that wasn't too expensive, nor was it too ordinary. It's a decent place and casually suits any individual's taste. Besides, I could never tire of that view. Our seats granted us the best window view in the entire restaurant. We were near the docks, and the glass was open for all to see out, but I just love this relaxed view. I could see the endless ocean waves, and the glistening blue stars that were reflected by them, it's the most beautiful thing to ever experience…

Seifer asked me to dance with him, but I remembered I hadn't danced with anyone _besides_ Squall. It's been too long for me, and I can't possibly dance; however, he refused to accept no as an answer, and pulled me onto the dance floor.

I was swayed and dipped and spun and who knows what else. I don't remember a thing. It was all a blur. As fun as it felt to lose myself out on the dance floor, I just didn't _feel _right.

Seifer realized my mood had changed and decided to take me home. Said he hoped he hadn't offended me, before he kissed me goodnight. Still, I felt like someone was watching me. Was it Squall?

* * *

I stood across the street hidden in the shadows, certain Rinoa wouldn't see me if she'd suddenly decided to take a walk that night. It looks like I was right to snoop around because a car pulled up and a man with blonde hair stepped out. Mystery man, perhaps? 

I saw him greet her and hand her a rose; _a rose_, Rinoa always thought roses were overrated. The woman is a die-hard fan of tulips, and I was surprised when she just _smiled_ at him for bringing her a rose. Had it been _me,_ she would've lectured me continuously about the uniqueness of the tulip's origin and so on…

After the car pulled off from her house, I tried my best to remember the color of his car. Though it was growing late, I could still tell that he was driving some kind of fancy red car. I needed to see how close she and this man were, and how he was treating her.

I decided to stick around the house for their grand return. I prayed that he would do one thing wrong so it would give me reason to burst through these bushes and show him some manners.

That dress she chose to wear tonight, when had she bought it? I've never seen her in it before. It fit her figure perfectly too, curving her sides with its crème…and baring her back… I felt myself becoming jealous that she wore that dress for _him_.

…What was so special that made me leave her in the first place?

…Like I said, back then I was confused. I really don't understand it much myself. But I do know that Rinoa doesn't hate me as much as she claims to.

However…if she really doesn't love me anymore, it's going to hurt, but I…I'd want her to be happy. It's all that matters to me. I don't like to see her sad or crying all of the time, nor do I want to be the reason she's crying. …But I'll be damned if she's going to stay with _him_…

--------------

As the night insects made their boisterous calls into the air, I heard the sound of a car pull up outside Rinoa's house once again. A few seconds later, Rinoa and the blonde emerged from the vehicle…and he walked her to the door, giving her a kiss… I felt my fist just aching to land on his cheek…but I managed to calm myself down…

If I'm going to get her back, I have to tell her _something_…I have to tell her soon…

-------------

After Seifer's car pulled away, I sighed and went into my house, heading straight to my bedroom to change from this dreadful dress.

Only twenty minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. When I opened the door, I saw Squall. His face was blank and he seemed to be tired, he looked so rough. …I guess whatever it was he left me for wasn't that exciting.

"Hey." He said finally, and I could_ feel_ the nervousness in his voice when he said it too.

"Hi." I managed to sound a bit friendly, knowing full well that on the inside, I cringed in pain just by looking at him.

"Can I come in?"

"…No. I'm coming out." I said and walked around him, shutting the door behind myself. He seemed to smirk when I took a seat on the porch swing. "What do you want, Squall?"

He sighed as if in relief after I asked that question. I wonder what he was thinking.

"I'm just glad you didn't say that you hate me again." I heard him mumble.

_But I do…_ I thought to myself and looked ahead at the road before my house.

He walked toward me and knelt down beside the swing while touching my hand. He caught me off my guard, but his voice grasped my attention, as he softly spoke, "…I'm sorry that I hurt you Rinoa. I was an idiot to leave you in the first place. I want you to know that it wasn't your fault; it was all mine. I…I just did what I wanted to do. But even back then, I didn't know what it was that I wanted. I was confused, and I couldn't focus on all the good things I had with you. Rin, I missed you everyday. Every _single_ day." He grabbed my hand now, and I felt my eyes watering. The warmness of his hand on mine, he doesn't know how long I wanted to be this close to him. "I want you to forgive me, Rinoa. Please." His eyes are begging me, so how can I refuse?

"…I forgive you." When I said those words, I saw his face light up into a smile. That sweet smile of his was all it took to charm me before. It was something he had rarely done when I first met him, but throughout the years, he'd smile more and more. And the more he smiled, the more I felt myself becoming more attached to him.

He moved his hand up to my face and rubbed my cheek, "I love you, Rinoa."

"Squall…" My old feelings for him are begging me to release. I feel like my body is on fire right now, but I can't answer him. I can't return his answer. "I…" In a few more seconds, he could have me again. No, I have to put up a fight…I can't let him take me away. My eyes were closing and he moved closer to my face, "…I…"

_-ring-_

And the telephone rang, bringing me back to my senses… I was beside my bed, barely out of my dress. …It wasn't real…. Why, it felt so real…I had not a clue…

I felt tears stinging in the corners of my eyes when the phone proceeded to ring a third time. I had wiped them away and answered the phone, crying into the speaker, "Hello?"

"Mommy!" Her little voice boomed into my eardrum.

"Oh, Rori." I quickly pushed away my tears and cleared my throat. "Hi, sweetie, how are you doing?"

"…Momma…are you crying?"

"Good heavens no, what makes you think that?" I lied to the poor child…what'll become of me?

" 'Cause your voice sounds all _fuzzy _in the phone."

"Now that's just the phone line, it's probably tying with someone else's line too."

"…Oh."

"Well, are you having fun over at Selphie's?"

"Yeah! We made smores on the stove, and Uncle Irvy gave me piggy back rides, and Sefie taught me a few new songs!"

"Wow, sounds like you're having a blast!"

_"Rori, are you finished dear?—_Oh, Mommy, I was just calling to tell you good night and that I love you. Sefie's calling me now!"

"I love you too, sweetheart. Sleep tight, okay?"

"I will…G'night!"

"Goodnight..." I said as she smudged a kiss into the phone, and I pretended to kiss her back. As soon as her little voice disappeared from the receiver, I sighed heavily and hung the phone up. "…Rori."

Just as I ended my phone conversation, there was a soft rapping on the door. Somehow, I knew who would be there, waiting for me to open and speak. And as I opened the door, I met his icy blue eyes…though they seemed a bit saddened at the moment. "Squall…" I whispered. He looked exactly as he had in my hallucination moments before.

"…Rinoa, we really need to talk." His voice, oh my god…Squall… If only he knew…if only he knew how many times I cried out for him and reached over for him, only to feel that emptiness beside me. If only he knew…

"About _what_ exactly?"

"…About _everything."_ He sighed and placed a hand on his hip, "…Have you really moved on?" It's just like him to get straight to the point, although, I couldn't agree more…

"…Y-yes, I have." He cocked an eyebrow at me and smirked slightly. "What?" I asked, folding my arms.

"…It sounds like you hesitated that answer."

"What are you _talking_ about?"

"Nothing, forget that…I just came here to tell you…" He froze and looked at the floor of the porch. "…To tell you…"

"To tell me _what,_ Squall?"

"…I miss you…" He said softly, looking up to me with pleading eyes. My knees weakened and I leaned on my door seal for support, grabbing the door and trying to close it, but Squall put his hand up before I could do anything else. "Rinoa, please wait! Rinoa!"

"Don't you do this to me!" I cried…I had let him see me cry…I wasn't supposed to…but I couldn't control myself. "Don't you do this to me Squall! Stay away from me! Go back to where you came from!" And with that, he allowed me to shut the door.

I had cried on my knees on the floor, I hadn't moved since he was there… I could still hear him standing outside, never wanting to leave from my porch… What would it take to send him away?

---------------

Before I left her porch, I spoke, "…I'm not giving up on you, I promise." And with that spoken, I walked down the front steps with a slightly renewed hope. I'm not going to let her get away from me, nor am I going to lose her again.

**

* * *

**

**_Once Upon an Author's Words_**

* * *

**Hey everyone, guess what, I've decided to update this story again. I'll work on it, as my motto goes, "I promise I'll complete every project I begin." So expect to see this story updated regularly. (Every week or so.) I'm still working on another story, but…I really want to take my time on it. Oh yeah, the next chapter introduces the story from the basic view of everyone, and no longer just Rinoa and Squall's.**

**Thanks to my reviewers for inspiring to continue with this story.**

**_Amy1-(_I don't want to keep you waiting, and I know its been a really long time. I'm so sorry:) )**

**_Platonic1-_ (Don't worry, I know Quistis is bound to join in soon.)**

**_Ayato-(_Finally, an update. Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy this story as well.)**

**_Lady-Rinoa_-(Yeah, I thought this story was hidden in the midst…but lol, you found it.**

**_Tsuki Leonhart_-(Hey! lol I don't know, I'm still stuck on Squall and Rinoa, but eventually I'll write Irvine and Selphie stories. You know, there's a bit of Selvine in here, so you're not out of luck, hehe. Enjoy the upcoming chapters as well.)**

**_Rinleonhart-(_Thank you, at that point in time, I thought even I had given up this story.)**

**I won't begin anything else until this one is done. Now you guys have survived the long introduction! (Yep, 3 whole chapters) Just wait until this story picks up the pace. Isn't Rori adorable? Aww…lol**

**Anyway, I'll get to work. Let me know if you like it or not, and I'll work even harder. (No, I'm not all weird-out by the T-Rex fest, lol. I'm still alive!)**

**_StardustRay_**


	4. The Fool

_**Disclaimer: Oops…I forgot to make one of these before, didn't I? And who noticed? Certainly not anybody who'd sue me that's for sure, hehehe…**_

* * *

_**Damaged Hearts**_

* * *

**_Chapter 4: The Fool_**

* * *

"…Hi Seifer, it's Rinoa. I just wanted to tell you that I won't be able to see you for a while. Things aren't exactly going well right now, and I…well I have a lot of business to take care of. Please understand, and thanks." Rinoa spoke softly into the phone, tangling her index finger in its cord. 

As she placed her phone onto the charger, she heaved an exasperating sigh and then rubbed her temples fiercely. Although relieved of Seifer's absence, Rinoa still felt guilty about not telling him in person that her husband had come back into town. Her _husband_? The sound of it weakened her stomach, caused the young woman to cringe at the thought of Squall being in her life once again. "I'll have to call Quistis, pick up the divorce papers…and find Squall. All he has to do is sign them…"

Since the last time Squall had come to her home, she had been thinking of him. She felt nervous whenever thoughts of him sprouted into her mind. Rinoa wasn't _afraid_ to see Squall again, but her own guilt had been eating away at her. She had to tell him how badly his leaving affected her, how much pain he caused, and informing so meant she would have to tell him about Rori; however, Rinoa wanted to keep Rori, the only person he hadn't harmed, away from him. Rori was birthed in a time Rinoa needed him most, and because he wasn't there, she felt he deserved to have the child kept away, payback for his _disappearance _for four years of _her_ life.

Speaking of disappearances, Squall hadn't left any way for her to contact him. "_If _I can find him, I don't even know where he is…" Rinoa needed to get to her attorney and file for a divorce immediately; such was the first thing on her 'to do' list for today. She had taken a deep breath and gathered her courage; today she _would_ file…

Meanwhile, Squall stared at himself in the bathroom's large rectangular mirror at Balamb Hotel. He saw his fuzzy hairs thickening around his mouth and on his chin, a mild goatee. Taking a rough hand, he gave the fuzziness a run and pulled his face closer to the mirror. _No wonder she wouldn't take me back, I haven't shaved in a while. _

In his cool, blue second floor hotel room, he looked beside his bed and saw that his suitcase lay on the floor, having never been touched since a day or two. Squall unzipped the hefty case's side and released most of the folded clothes that were neatly stacked in. All those clothes he had purchased while away from Rinoa; she would probably never want to see them anyway. Those were clothes he bought without her knowing, and worn for events or themes even _he_ wasn't sure of and had forgotten about. He suddenly wanted to burn the clothes sometime.

He groaned, tossing pieces of clothing to the side, not caring where they might land around the room, until he finally got to a clear container carrying all of his personal items. There, he found an electric shaver, and a small bottle of aftershave along with other necessities he may have needed but at other times.

Moments after taking the time to set up his equipment, Squall rolled the electronic shaver onto his chin, thinking about the night before, with Rinoa, and how she had cried again, how _he_ had made her cry again. He knew what pain her heart endured, and he knew it would be a horrible sight to witness, her crying uncontrollably before him yet not wanting him to keep her or comfort her in any way. He sighed and beat the shaver against the sink bowl a bit to knock some loose hairs off that had been attached.

If there were some way he could get through to her, he'd quickly take that chance.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to go through with this Rinoa?" A tall blonde woman asked Rinoa who had entered with determination that nearly rubbed off on everything in the small office room. 

"Quistis please, I really need to. You were the one who suggested I take action _two years ago_, weren't you?"

"Yes I was, but I'm just warning you now. Even if I give you these papers, it doesn't mean he'll sign right away. So whenever he's ready, I want the two of you to come _here_ in _my _office to make this work. Rinoa, you're a loving friend of mine, but I've had plenty of cases involving wives and husbands forging each other's signatures before, and I don't want you to become one of them."

"I can't believe you're telling me this! What makes you think I'll _forge_ his signature?"

"…You haven't even told him about Rori yet, Rinoa. Even though I hardly know Squall, I know it's a fact that once he discovers _Rori_, something inside him will break. Until you've told him about her, we'll see where the divorce will fit in…"

"No, I don't want to _see_ because I _don't_ want him back! I've made up my mind Quistis, and its _not_ going to change!"

"It doesn't mean you'll have to take him back, it just means you'll get through this problem with honesty. Rinoa, you've got to be the bigger person here. I know you're hurting, but…take a look at it from Squall's eyes too, he _has_ to feel worse about himself if he's come back to you after all this time. And…think about Rori, how she would feel…"

Rinoa gazed into the floor's depths, wishing she could walk across it to get out of Quistis' office, and Quistis sat, squeezing Rinoa's hand in hers, hoping her friend would take a moment to relax and think her life over. Being raised by a single mother herself, Quistis understood what type of life Rori would have; always wondering about her father, about what kind of person he could be, or even if he's alive. Now that _this _opportunity was at hand for Rori, she wanted the little girl to have at least _one_ chance at knowing who her father was. With Rori being such a sweet child, Quistis would personally curse Squall if he would ever shun the little girl's heart.

As much as Quistis' heart screamed _intervention_, she decided to leave the situation up to Rinoa and Squall. It would be better to allow the two of them to fix their own problem, together. Quistis sighed and released Rinoa's shaking hand, "Rinoa, I _am_ here for your support, and if I ever happen to run into Squall, I'll have him know what he's missed out on."

"Quistis, do _not_ tell him about Rori…"

"Oh believe me I _won't_…because that's what _you'll_ do, right?" Both women knew just how small Balamb was, sooner or later, Squall would see the little girl and figure things out _rather quickly_; Just one look at Rori's eyes could tell him that much.

"I don't know…" Rinoa said, moving her eyes from the floor to Quistis', and by that time, Quistis knew Rinoa would need her help, and not just as her lawyer either…

* * *

"Rori honey, you've got to stop spinning… I'm getting _dizzy_ just by _looking_ at you_!"_ Selphie said, stirring a pitcher of lemonade for the two of them to enjoy in the coolness of Selphie's home. 

"Tee-hee, sorry!" Rori giggled and covered her mouth. As her spinning came to an end, she clumsily staggered to the side and fell on the sofa with an exaggerated scream. Selphie shook her head and let the little girl be. Selphie could recall a time when she _too_ had much more energy than her parents and others, but those times were quickly leaving her behind; she was getting older and soon wouldn't be able to keep up with _anyone's_ pace. Selphie smirked, hearing her own mind make a mountain out of a molehill. Nevertheless, seeing Rori have fun was more than enjoyable, and had gradually freed her time-consumed and _tiring_ spirit.

With a final stir to the clear plastic pitcher, Selphie removed the spoon and cheered, "Ta-dah, lemonade is done!"

The little girl quickly sprang to her feet and charged over to Selphie, jumping up and down at the woman's legs as she tried to reach for the container herself, but Selphie laughed aloud, "_Rori_, I have to put it in glass first!"

Rori squealed, "I know! I just wanna see you do it!"

"Okay, let me-" The telephone began to ring, "…Oh…I'll have to answer that first. One second Rori." She moved away from the girl and grabbed the phone from its station on a table stand beside the sofa, "Hello, Selphie speaking."

"_Hey honey, how are you holding up?"_

"Irvy! I'm doing just fine. Rori's right in the kitchen waiting to get some lemonade, you want me to save you a taste?"

"_You don't even need to ask that, you should already know what my answer is!" _

Selphie chortled, "Okay, it'll be in the fridge when you get home! So…what's up?"

"_Ah…yeah!"_ Irvine laughed, almost sidetracked and _had _forgotten why he called a moment ago; _"I've got a surprise for Rori here at the shop. Wanna take a guess at what it might be?"_

"…Umm, okay. Give me a hint!"

"…_It's a toy."_

"Is it something that _rocks?_-"

"_Geez Selphie, not so loud! And how did you guess correctly on your first try?"_

Selphie chuckled, "Well you're the one who suggested I take a guess! And besides, what _else_ can you make out of _wood_? So did I get it right?"

"_Judging by the piece of answer you gave, yeah you were right. It's a wooden **rocking** horse. I'm sure it'll get her to relax for a little while."_

"Oh that sounds wonderful! I can't wait to see it."

"_Yeah, but it's a surprise. I'm going to bring it home when I'm finished."_

"I thought you _already_ finished!"

"_Nah, I got so excited and felt like I should share my enthusiasm with you! But its not done yet."_

"That's not fair! Don't call back here until it's done, and I mean it!"

"_Selphie! Selphie wait!"_

"Goodbye!"

"_Sel-"_ Selphie hung up the phone and bawled out into a fit of laughter. She rested a hand on her chest in a strong laughter that even put a smile on Rori's face, even though the girl hadn't a clue what could possibly have been funny.

Rori had enjoyed herself since she first arrived at the home of Selphie and Irvine. In a way, she wondered why her own mother wasn't like Selphie. Sure, Seifer was there, but Rori only saw him as a playmate, never a father.

After seeing Selphie and Irvine show teamwork in the games they played, made her happy, but also a little sad. Most of her life as she knew, her mother never mentioned anything about her own father; however, Rinoa gave her all the love she could possibly give, and that was enough to satisfy Rori. But then…seeing this pair and _other_ families, even the families in story books, for sometime had made the child wonder to herself: _Do I have a daddy too?_

"Rori, here's your lemonade!"

"Oh, thank you!" She sang happily and took the cup from Selphie's hand. Taking in the sweetest lemonade she had ever tasted in her life; it was no wonder Irvine loved it so much.

* * *

"Let me get this straight… You wanna _work_ here?" Zell questioned, scratching his forehead in disbelief. Somehow, seeing Squall in dirty oil-stench slacks hadn't exactly settled properly, the man's style _screamed _business suit. He rephrased the question to be sure his ears had not deceived him, "You want to work _here, _in this _musty_ old shop, with _me?_" 

"Only if you don't mind. I know a thing or two about cars Zell, maybe even a bit more than you." Squall smirked.

"Oh now _don't be_ barking up that tree, you don't know _squat!_" Zell laughed, "It's not a problem having an extra set of hands around here, but what about your old job?"

"That desk job at Kramer's? …Zell, I walked out on the guy…it's obviously history."

"…Man, I don't know how or _what_ you did, but that's impressive _and_…a little sad."

Squall shrugged his shoulders, "…Yeah, whatever."

"Well…let's see now. Business is usually smooth for me. I get a few strangers every now and then, to pass through town and blow a tire or two; People with engine trouble or filthy mufflers, you know?" Squall nodded and Zell continued, "Anyway, you can grab a uniform from the backroom. Make sure you don't wear any of your favorite clothes underneath, trust me…I learned the hard way. You can start tomorrow."

"What, no papers to fill out?"

"Relax Squall, I'm a _busy_ businessman, I'll get to it!" Zell said, fanning him off as he walked into the back office room closed off from the main garage. Squall studied the wide room for a few moments; thankful to have a good friend like Zell. Even if everyone else would spit on him for returning, he was glad to see Zell still there and standing with him.

On the other hand, working at the repair shop would place him almost in the center of town and closer to Rinoa. Although the shop was just a ways off from her house, he could see if Rinoa was on her way to the store since it too only stood blocks away. It was a sad attempt, and maybe even classified as stalking, but Squall was in a desperate situation. Every day that passed, Rinoa seemed to slip farther away from him.

Not wanting to lose her, the time called for desperate measures, and he already promised to win her heart all over again.

That evening, he passed by her house once more. Regardless if she were inside or not, Squall left a slip of paper underneath her door seal.

_Rinoa…_

_I'm staying at the hotel- Room 201._

_Please call, 1-757-345-2201_

_-Squall_

By the time Rinoa found the slip, she was too tired to make any more moves. Quistis suggested that she tell the man right away about his daughter, but who knew making such move would be so difficult? Rinoa had spent most of her day, inside, avoiding _anyone _that would bring up her current dilemma. To her surprise and advantage, Seifer had not returned her call.

She set a pot of water onto the stove and turned the stove fire to a minimum, allowing the water to boil over its heat. Having not a clue what to fill the pot with, Rinoa stared absentmindedly into the motionless water. Her eyes reflected the heated flames she watched, dancing freely underneath the iron pot, which slowly created bubbles that formed at the bottom and floated to the surface of the water. How…entertaining…?

She brought her hand to her face and rubbed her forehead, wondering just how long she had been staring at nothing out of the ordinary. _What am I doing? I've never been so distracted before… Quistis made it all sound so simple, me telling Squall about Rori, but…it's nowhere near simple. …He's left me his number, and yet I don't even know what to say to him. I don't know what I want to say. Should I…Should I tell him about the divorce? _

The sizzling of boiling water caught her attention, and Rinoa became fully aware that the pot she placed over the fire was now boiling water fiercely. She turned the fire off and pushed the pot back onto the last burners of its stovetop. _Who am I kidding? How will I be able to move on when I've got this much on my heart? I need to do _something,_ and I need to make a move right _now

Rinoa snatched the slip from the counter and read Squall's words once more before taking a deep breath and walking to the phone in her living room. She grabbed its base and wrapped the cord around her palm while taking a seat on the sofa. She whispered his number while punching in buttons, and waited for the ring tone to sound.

Back in the hotel, Squall heard his room phone ringing from the bathroom, where he emerged towel drying his freshly shampooed hair. He knew either Rinoa or Zell had been calling him since they were the only two who knew of his phone number. If it were Zell, he'd called him back later, but somehow he knew Zell wouldn't call at this hour; it was going on ten o'clock. He quickly held the towel with one hand and answered the phone as he sat at the edge of his bed and near an overly fluffed pillow. "…Hello."

First he heard someone make a short gasp, but then the phone hung up immediately. "Huh?" Squall questioned, pulling the phone back from his ear to get a good look at what might have been inside. With a smile, he placed the phone back onto its hook, knowing for a fact who called his room. He whispered to himself, "Rinoa…"

Rinoa slapped her forehead and cursed herself for reacting foolishly, "What are you thinking, Rin! As soon as you tell him, the sooner you can get it over with. Yes…" Suddenly, the phone rung in her hands and nearly frightened her to an early grave. She had screamed out, but silenced herself upon realizing it was only the phone, nothing more. With a deep breath, Rinoa picked up the phone and slowly brought it to her face, "…Hello."

"…_Hi. Rinoa?"_ Squall's voice sounded unsteady and cautious in the phone.

"Yes?"

"…_Did you… just call me…?"_

"No, you must be mistaking me for someone else and _how_ did you get this number?" Squall's calling had suddenly taken her by surprise.

"…_I once lived there too, you know."_

"Oh? That must have been a _real_ long time ago." She teased cruelly.

"…_Look, I **know **you called me, the least you could do is admit it."_

"So why did you even bother to _ask?"_

"_Because I—"_ He groaned, _"I don't have to answer that."_

"Why not? Are you giving up just like you did before?" Rinoa said with sorrowful bitterness.

"_Rinoa, stop that! Stop trying to provoke me with those cheap shots!" _

"I see nothing _cheap_ about it at all! I have a right to be this way to you because—"

"_Because I **left **you, I know! If every one of our conversations is going to involve you reminding me about what I did before, then I don't see why I even bothered to come back here!" _

"That's a really good point, Squall! Why the _hell_ did you come back! After four years, I figured you started another_ family_ somewhere else!" Rinoa had winced at her own words, fearing Squall would catch on and piece together his _own_ little family.

"_I would never do that to you! Why would you even think that?"_

"…How am I supposed to know! Youleave and I'm supposed to sit around and do _nothing_, waiting for you to return like some _idiot!_ No! That's not how life works, especially not _mine_!" She paused for a second, feeling her emotions interfering with her words, and yelled, "While you were gone, I rediscovered who I am and what a wonderful person I am, a person that _doesn't_ need you!"

"_Wonderful? **Wonderful!** You…You won't even let me get a good word in this conversation and you're **wonderful?** If you weren't so full of yourself maybe I could tell you why I left!"_

"_I'm_ so full of myself! You've got a lot nerve saying that! May I remind you _again_ that _I_ wasn't the one to leave! You did! And you left for some foolish reason that I really don't care to hear! So you can shove it!" Rinoa's throat caved in, she had lied to him...denied the only thing she wanted out of him: an explanation.

"_I know it was **selfish, **dammit!"_

"Not 'it_,'_ _you!_ _You _were selfish! …You didn't even call me Squall!" Tears had rolled down from her eyes, and her throat began to ache. Her voice became shaky as she almost whined, "…I didn't know _what_ happened to you!"

"…_Oh god…"_ Squall muttered, _"…Rinoa…Rinoa I'm sorry."_

"…." Rinoa's heart had pounded in her chest, and she felt her temperature rising. She had remained silent on the phone, covering her face with a sofa pillow.

"_Rinoa…say something to me. Please."_ Squall's voice had been quiet, sounding as if he too were fighting back his own sorrow. _"Rin…I don't want to argue, you know I've never enjoyed it."_ Rinoa cried, moving the phone away from her mouth so Squall couldn't hear, but he could hear faintly in the background, Rinoa was beginning to break down.

Squall had long pushed the towel from his hair. He roughly ran a hand through his dampened hair with a soft groan, and wet his lips, "…Rinoa, I want to right every wrong I've caused, but I don't know where to start. Every time I _try_ to talk to you, you cry and push me farther away. So please…just tell me, tell me what I have to do… I want to gain your forgiveness." He inwardly sighed; _I don't want to make you cry anymore…_

With her might, Rinoa forced through her dry throat, _"Squall…I…"_ She sniffled, _" I want a divorce…"_

"What do you mean…a divorce?"

She sniffled into the phone again, _"What do you think I mean? It'll be all I ever ask from you. …All I want is for you to sign those papers with me." _

_All she wants, is she serious?_ _This is _extreme "…Rinoa, why are you asking _this _of all things …Is this some kind of _joke_?"

"_I'm not kidding, Squall. You _will_ accompany me to Quistis' law firm downtown, tomorrow at noon? …You remember where it is, right?"_

"…I…right, I remember." He knew Rinoa was deeply hurt by his actions, but a divorce was absolutely ridiculous. There was no way he could give her a straight answer. And how _quickly_ she suggested it…

"_Well then meet me there tomorrow. My decision is final…I can't live like this anymore. ...So I'd appreciate if you stop this harassment and leave me alone, for good."_ Rinoa terminated the phone lines immediately after her words and Squall sat for a moment, still holding the phone to his ear as if she were still there, talking with him. Finally, he pulled the phone away and slammed it down onto its hook, threshing the entire device back onto the desk in an angry fit.

Squall caressed his face into his hands as he groaned, "…Now what? What do I do now?" He lied back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. _If she really wants a divorce, then I guess there's only one thing I _can_ do… _

* * *

The following morning, Rinoa had called Quistis and told the woman to expect she and her _ex-_husband to arrive at the office at noon. Confident, Rinoa had rubbed the _I told you so_ attitude all in Quistis' face as she spoke over the phone with her, but Quistis still reminded the radiant woman that noon was far away as they spoke; _anything_ could happen. 

As noon approached, Rinoa had left her home to meet up with Squall at the law firm offices. She would catch a bus that routed down the long road, which led to the busy eastern area of Balamb's small continent, Downtown Balamb. Although she lived in the homey, country town where everyone knew one another, the 'city' area was larger in size as businesses and trading companies opened shop and began industrial organizations. Eastern Balamb, a side of the small continent where Squall once worked, was a busy and stuffy place. She could never live there _or_ visit anyone who lived there for that matter, but because Quistis' office was located in such a place, Rinoa had no choice but to make visits as often as seeing her close friend and attorney.

Standing inside Quistis' small yet luxurious office, Rinoa realized she had been waiting for _someone_ for a long time. Quistis walked inside and looked down at her wristwatch. "Squall has another half of an hour, and after that, I'll call Balamb Hotel for a little checkup."

"No Quistis, that's not necessary. He told me he'd be here…"

"…Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes, he said he'd meet me here at noon. It was an agreement and I had his understanding…"

"…I hate to be the bearer of bad news Rinoa, but we've been waiting for about an hour now. I'm fully convinced we've got ourselves a no show."

"…A No-Show?" Rinoa questioned, looking up to Quistis, her eyes had quickly angered. "…Squall wouldn't do that…would he?"

Quistis shrugged her shoulders, "…I told you before, didn't I? I see this happening all the time…"

Rinoa's face fell to the floor. _Squall wouldn't do this to me…he can't._

* * *

_**Once Upon an Author's Words:**_

* * *

_**Yes, I've been a busy bird lately, eh? Two updates in one day, three cheers for me…spare one for you if you've read through, hehe.**_

_**So now, I'm really, really taking my time with this one. Because of very harsh circumstances, I was only able to write and update this one chapter in. Update should come around eventually, but things aren't looking so smooth for me. Till then, I hope you've enjoyed it…**_

_**Thanks to:**_

_**Silver-nex- It's not too angst is it? I'm so depressing sometimes, I swear. Lol Thank you!**_

_**RinLeonhart-Don't worry, they eventually will, but I want the story to grow from there. Many things lie in their way, aww…Thanks for the review.**_

_**Tsuki Leonhart-Awww, thank you! I will continue to write this story, if it takes me months to finish, it will be done. Promise. **_

_**Blue- Ah, crap, you found it! lol I would love to read stories you've mused on, I'm curious now. Don't worry, I plan to explore my mushiness…I may have to dig deep, lol. Thanks again!**_

_**Lady Rinoa- Whoa, when I first posted it up, I felt like it wasn't my greatest work, but here I am now, trying to correct everything and enhance it…I don't want to have anything to complain about, you know? And don't worry, things should pick up next. (I'm still working on it, aahh.) **_

_**Yae- Hey! Yeah, I have a few plot twists in store, just wait. Right now I'm setting up the story, I just hope it's alright now. Anyways, thanks!**_

_**So there you have it, I'll return with another update. Feel free to review. Thanks for your time.**_

_**StardustRay **_


	5. Decisions

**_Chapter 5: Decisions_**

* * *

Flying sparks and pieces of metal flew into the air as Zell melded down on a mechanical device taken from within the car's engine. Squall stared through foggy goggles at Zell putting forth most of the effort for both of them combined. Although grateful his friend could spare him a job, Squall wasn't able to focus in the shop; it was well passed noon in the day. 

He knew where Rinoa wanted to meet with him, he knew exactly what she wanted from him, but he couldn't bring himself to go through with their divorce, much less facing her and then giving her away. He squeezed the wrench in his hands and gritted his teeth together, angrily reliving the moment she asked for the divorce. He hated that word. It was because _his_ parents had split for sometime and gotten a divorce, but eventually they came together once again, after _much_ counseling. Remembering the time between his parents' divorce, he recalled lonely days and uncontrollable emotions. At the angriest part of his life, he had met and fallen in love with Rinoa.

She was there for him when he needed her, she helped him through, and she was there when his parents forgave one another. Rinoa had always been there, first as a friend, and then as something more. Behind the goggles, his eyes grew sullen. Squall suddenly had a sour taste in his mouth. Rinoa witnessed the separation of his parents, so wouldn't she know just how much it would hurt him to even mention a divorce… Of course, all his thoughts led him to missing the appointment with Rinoa and purposely staying in the shop.

"Squall, man, you really need to get some sleep." Zell said, waking him from his thoughts. "I've been calling you for about five minutes now." He laughed, "Listen, there isn't much that needs working on, and I can probably handle it all by myself today. I know you've got a lot to do, you know, with your 'girls' so I'm going to let you go. Get out of here, okay?"

"…Zell, what are you talking about, I'm not going anywhere, and what do you mean _my_ _'girls'_?" Already feeling the bitterness from his previous thoughts, Squall quickly drew conclusions in his mind, "So you think I did _stupider_ things after I left Rinoa, is _that it_?"

"Squall? Whoa, where's this coming from?"

"Forget about it! Whatever I say isn't worth a damn thing anyway!" Squall slammed the wrench onto the concrete floor and marched out of the shop. Zell had pulled back from his work and watched Squall rush out the garage.

"Squall, c'mon! It was a joke!" The young blonde removed his goggles and scratched his head curiously as the brunette disappeared out of sight._ What's gotten into him? I was talking about Rinoa and Rori. That idiot…his attitude makes me wonder what he did through those four years. Squall…get yourself together, man. _

* * *

"Okay, I've got a little box with cards inside. I'm going to show you how to play a game called Triple Triad. Alright?" 

"Triple Triad?" Rori asked the spunky woman. "What's that?"

"You've never played it before?" She asked, receiving a shake from side to side by Rori's head. "Are you sure?" Rori shook her head fiercely. "Your mom _never_ taught you how to play?" Rori held her lips together and shook her head again, and Selphie laughed while placing her hands at her hips, "Your mother should be ashamed of herself! Why, it's a very popular game!"

"Me and Seifa always play games, he might know what Triple Triad is."

"I wouldn't be surprised." _Seifer, the young man Rinoa had been seeing recently and already Rori had a nickname for him_, Selphie snickered. Selphie was proud of her friend for taking that brave step in rebuilding her life, but dating someone else while still married had shaken Selphie a bit. Rinoa seemed to be playing with morals and vows, something Selphie wasn't too impressed with. But given she were in Rinoa's shoes, she didn't know what she would ever do. In a way, she saluted Rinoa for making the choice to see someone else. "Well come on Rori, I'll get some water and we'll go on outside with the card game okay?"

"Outside?"

"Yeah, aren't you tired of staying in all day long? You must feel stuffy from being cooped up in this little house."

"Your house isn't _little_, it's fun!"

"Maybe it _is _fun, but I bet you'll feel better out there. Besides, it's breezy right now. What do you say?"

"…Okay!"

---------

A few minutes later, the two were outside at a table in Selphie's side yard. Selphie brought a jug of water outside which main purpose became to shield their game cards from the winds' breeziness. They hadn't minded the few cards that blew from the table by wind occasionally, and Selphie even got a laugh out of listening to Rori talk about a Thrustaevis' card flying in the air because it was a _bird_ after all.

Soon after, Selphie realized Rori's excitement came from looking at the skillfully painted cards in the deck. She picked up one card at a time and flashed it to Selphie in amazement, "Look at this, it's a tiger!"

"It's called a Torama. It's pretty huh?"

"Yeah! Oh!" She showed Selphie a fish shaped creature and tried pronounce its name, "Fas…fasti…"

"Fastitocalon?"

"Fasti…licon.." She said unsurely, and Selphie nodded with a smile.

"You got it!" Selphie lied.

Rori giggled and removed the next card, "…Eww! This monster is ugly!"

"What card is ugly, let me see?" Selphie asked, taking the card from the girl's tiny hand. She was not surprised to find the beast with a large mouth and sharp teeth, with green tentacles for limbs that made up its entire body. Selphie chucked out, "Malboro." It was obviously the most hideous piece of art from the collection of cards, and she briefly remembered when her father gave it to her. He too had witnessed a sour reaction from Selphie as a young girl, and now Selphie witnessed Rori's.

"Isn't it ugly?"

"I'll have to agree with you, Rori. That thing definitely has to go." Selphie reached over the card to Rori again so she could put it back with the others. In doing so, Rori's elbow bumped against the jug of water set close to the edge and caused it to fall from the table.

"Oops, I'm sorry!" Rori said, leaving the cards and getting down from her chair to pick up the water container. She knelt to her knees on the ground, ignoring dirtying the edges of her green sundress due to her pursuit.

"No, no, Rori, don't worry about it. I'll get it. Have a seat okay? I'll be right back. I have to fill the container up again." Selphie said, taking the jug from Rori's hands and walking toward the side door. "Rori, why don't you sing a song while I'm inside okay?" She called from within the house.

"Okay!" Rori agreed cheerfully, unaware that such was the attempt to have Selphie keep up with her. Selphie would know if the little girl was still outside of the house or running inside to help her if she would sing the song. Because of her negligence, she didn't want the girl to feel completely alone. Rori had thought of the first song to come into mind, _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. _

The little girl busied herself with the song and climbed back into her chair at the yard table, singing comfortably to herself. "Twinkle Twinkle little st-" Just then, a breeze passed through and knocked a few cards from the table; the Red Bat, Grat, and Carbuncle cards blew away. With the absence of the jug, the cards were now exposed to full blasts of the wind. "Oh no, the cards!" Rori ran after the tumbling cards in the side yard, watching them tumble toward the iron gates at the front of Selphie's house. Rori saw that two cards were stopped at the gate but one was carried over and flew into the road. Panicking, Rori turned toward the house hoping that Selphie had finished with the water container, but faintly heard the house phone ringing from within.

"No!" Rori whined in a tiny scream, watching helplessly as the card was blown into the road. She was helpless to stop the card and now, it was lost. Rori had begun to cry because she knew Selphie would be sad that her card was gone. She cried into her hands, grimacing about the lost of Selphie's card.

"Hey…don't cry. Is this what you're looking for?" The voice of a man caused Rori to stop her weeping and look up. She saw first that he held the Carbuncle card in his hand, and then she looked up to his face and smiled. Rori had stared into his blue eyes and moved her eyes to his smile. Taking in the fact that the stranger seemed friendly enough to trust, Rori nodded to him and took the card gently from his hand as he had stooped down to her level and slipped it through the gate's openings.

"Thank you, mister!" Rori said as she turned away from the blue-eyed brunette and ran back to the table to gather her cards.

"You're welcome..." He said to her, seeing the little girl pick up from where she left off, although his voice was almost a silent whisper.

Rori gathered the remaining cards together and had walked toward the side door, but was met by Selphie staring at the strange man she encountered. "Rori, who was that?"

"That man? …The wind blew the cards off the table and one of them went far away. He found it in the street and gave it back to me." Rori said as she walked inside.

Although Selphie was only able to see his back, the man's figure looked extremely familiar. Could he have been Squall, the person Rinoa feared Rori to see the most? Selphie gasped and covered her mouth, which immediately got the attention of Rori. "What's the matter, Sefie?"

"Oh…nothing Rori. Um…let me see those cards again." She quickly changed the subject. If it had been Squall, she had to tell Rinoa what happened. Pushing aside her panic attack, Selphie realized Rori might not have known that he was her father judging by her response. She called Squall, 'that man' so obviously he hadn't informed her of who he was. _What kind of man is he? Why wouldn't he let Rori know who he is? …But…maybe he doesn't know who she is either…?_

Selphie cleared her throat and looked at Rori with a smile, "Rori, even though that man was nice enough to hand you the card, remember what your mother's told you about talking with strangers. Okay?"

"Okay!"

_

* * *

_

_I can't believe he stood me up! _Rinoa complained as she arrived at her front door. She jammed the key into its lock and angrily turned the doorknob. _He doesn't take anything seriously! Who was I kidding? He practically tossed our vows aside, so why did I even expect to see him today? _She slammed the front door and dropped her purse on the wooden floor, sighing in disgust. _He made me into a fool! He made me waste Quistis' time too! I can't stand him! Squall, I hate you! I hate you! _Rinoa moved her hands over her forehead and leaned back onto the walls of her home, sliding down and resting her head back as tears streamed from her eyes. She cried out, "I hate you!"

------------

Squall waved at the hotel hostess and walked upstairs from the lovely decorated halls of Balamb Hotel to _his_ room, the dark dungeon. Even upon entering, he was welcomed by a loom of gloominess luring over his soul, a feeling he had felt since Rinoa proposed the divorce. Never had he wanted to reach through the phone and do something _drastic _that would change her mind in an instant. Squall tugged at the goggles that rested around his neck and pulled them from over his head with a sigh.

He had left from work early on his first day because his late conversation with Rinoa haunted him terribly. His only intention was to get her passed his faults and maybe gain her forgiveness, but things had turned ugly within the first few seconds over the phone. As he had walked home, he took the longer way that meant walking through more of the back roads and houses that were built closer together, forming a miniature neighborhood that was peaceful and quiet. The walk was more enjoyable than he had ever imagined, and it helped to clear his mind of Rinoa if only for a little while, but one little moment nagged him since his arrival at the hotel. The little girl he had helped today, her chubby face and eyes fascinated him. Maybe he had seen the little girl before?

He was walking down the road and happened to see a piece of paper flying in the wind, suddenly the little girl's whimpering caught his attention. Squall quickly got the paper, which happened to be a playing card, and brought it over to the girl. Her crying was so severe that she hadn't noticed him approaching her. He stooped before her and smiled as he asked if it were hers. He was surprised when she looked up with apair of eyes that reflected his own…it was unreal. Maybe the sun had gotten into his eyes when she looked at him? Maybe what he saw _wasn't _real?

Squall shrugged his shoulders and stripped from the slacks of Zell's uniform, and walked into his bathroom. He had had a long day, the last thing he needed to was to have more to muse himself with.

Just as he was about to free himself from his troubles, the phone rang. "_Dammit_ Rinoa!" He yelled, walking to the phone beside his bed. Squall moved his hand to answer it but yanked away quickly. "…No…" He allowed the phone to ring a few more times until the caller took the message that _he wasn't home_.

-----------

Rinoa slammed the phone on its hook and groaned, "Coward! He can't even answer his phone to tell me why he wasn't there!" Her red and distressed eyes blurred even more at the thought of Squall fleeing in the night. _What if he left after I told him about the divorce? Maybe that's why he's not at the hotel…what if he's already left…?_

Rinoa picked up the phone once again and dialed for his room. She waited patiently as it rung over and over until finally, the phone had been picked up, but had hung up in her face. She groaned, "…Well at least I know he's there." She called again and after more than five rings, Squall answered, _"…Rinoa, I know why you're calling, so don't start nagging me about not being there…"_

"…Nagging? You don't have to worry about me _nagging!"_ She yelled, "You told me you would be there, Squall, but you lied! And don't give me some crap about you being there _earlier _before me because we agreed to meet at _noon_! I was there for the whole afternoon _Squall_, so _where_ were _you_?"

"_I didn't tell you anything; in fact, I never agreed to meet you **anywhere**."_

"Yes you did! Don't lie to me again! You agreed to meet me at Quistis' office!"

"_As I remember, you asked me if I knew where Quistis' place was, and **that **was the only thing I said **yes** to! Maybe if you hadn't hung up, you might not have had to go all the way out to the East just to sit for **hours** and all for nothing! I would've told you I wasn't going to be there!"_

Rinoa became silent. She rested her head in her hands when thinking back to their conversation. She had quickly terminated the lines before Squall had a chance to fight back with her divorce decision, hadn't she?

"_Why aren't you saying anything now, huh? It's because you know I'm right, isn't it?" _

"…That doesn't mean anything. You had a responsibility and you failed, _again_!"

"_Don't talk to **me **about responsibility, Rinoa! I know I'm responsible for many things that lie between us now, but I'm willing to reason with you **through** this mess!" _

"Well I'm not_…_ because as far as I'm concerned, we're both finished!"

"_No! I don't believe that one bit! If you can't talk to me in person like a responsible adult and stress why our marriage is over, then I will **never **sign those divorce papers!"_

"Squall, you're so stubborn!"

"_I'm only stubborn because I know what I want and I won't quit until I get it!"_ He yelled, sounding as if veins were popping up from his forehead.

Rinoa had silenced herself once again, and licked her lips. "…You think I'm not serious about this divorce?"

"_I don't know, **are you**?" _

"Don't give me that! I'll tell you exactly why I don't want you and why you mean _nothing_ to me!" She yelled, feeling a sense of doubt within her own heart.

"…_Nothing? …If I meant **nothing** to you, then why are you crying yourself to sleep at night over me? "_

"…You don't know anything."

"_But I can tell…I know you too well…I saw those bags under your eyes when I came over that night… Rinoa, please, we've been arguing since I came back. I just want to talk to you. Do you think I'm gloating around after all that's happened between us? No, I feel terrible. I feel horrible…and our arguing isn't helping me any. Just like you, I want closure, I want forgiveness and quite frankly **this** isn't helping…" _He sighed, _"I need to see you. I want to be close to you…I want to see your face when I talk to you; I can't speak to you over the phone anymore. After all these years Rinoa…I **know** you feel the same way." _

After searching her mind for some resistance, Rinoa realized she could argue with Squall no more. On some level, the man was right. Finally, the hurting woman sighed and gave in to his words, "…I'll be at the docks in about twenty minutes and if you're not there by then, I'm going to leave. …How's that?"

"…_Fair enough." _

"I'll see you later."

"_Yeah…later." _They both placed their phones on the hook. Rinoa bit her bottom lip nervously while Squall smirked because Rinoa had fallen right into his trap.

* * *

At the docks, Rinoa held her windbreaker around herself trying to fight back against the nippiness of the cold air. In the late evening, the salty breezes turned into freezing winds that changed the warm relaxing sunset into a frigid sight where people bit at the bitter cold, completely ignoring the orange and pink skies, and saw _blue only_. 

Rinoa shuttered as she stared at the red seas, and sighed to herself, "This will never work… What am I doing here?"

"…Waiting for me, I thought." A voice called to her from behind. She turned around and faced Squall, and he smiled, digging his hands into his coat pockets. She ignored his smile and faced the sea once again. Squall had shaken off her coldness and stood beside her, looking out into sea as well. They were silent for a few moments before Squall laughed softly, "…I remember when we first saw this sunset…a long time ago…"

Rinoa's eyes had watered almost instantly. …_It was so beautiful. We were young and happy…and newlyweds. Those were the best days of my entire life. Nothing spectacular happened that day, it was just Squall and I…staring at the sun until it set that night. Nothing spectacular really, but it was so special, so real. Just the two of us… …Why is he doing this to me?_

"Squall, what exactly do you want to talk about?"

He sighed, "…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up…" He cleared his throat and faced her, staring at the side of her face and admiring how brilliantly the sunlight shimmered on her skin. "Rinoa, I…I'm going to be honest with you. I don't want a divorce from you, which is obvious I know, but…I feel like you're using the divorce as an excuse; Using it as some type of shelter from me… I don't think you're really _sure_ you want it anyway because you don't _sound_ sure enough to _me_."

Rinoa's face quickly turned to his, glaring at him, "How would you know if I'm sure or not? I've changed over those four years Squall. I was childish and uncertain when we got married, but I've matured since you've been gone."

"I'm having trouble believing that…"

She had folded her arms and cocked an eyebrow, eying him suspiciously, "And you really sound mature, yourself."

He squinted his eyes, "Whatever, but at least I can come out and say what's on my mind. I'm not just screaming at people without a real reason."

"I don't have to explain anything to you, Squall. Why can't you get that through your head!"

He roughly grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes, "Well just tell me why you want this divorce!"

Rinoa's heart was pounding as she looked into his azure eyes. The masculinity of his face fascinated her; in four years he could look older yet at once, he could look the same as he had years ago, so young, so admirable, and so attractive. The bangs over his eyes had grown, and the hair that he would keep so neatly trimmed now hang loosely off his neck. Those _cold_ blue eyes stared into hers, oddly seeming to _burn_ everything in her body, seeing through her heart and soul. Her insides had been yearning for his touch since he neared her being, but now that he had his grip on her, she didn't know how to react, "…Squall…"

"Well? What reason can you give me?" He asked, easing his grip on her forearms, but still begging for an answer. Rinoa hesitated to speak, not wanting to strike another argument. Somehow, she admitted to having undying feelings for Squall but her conscious contradicted otherwise.

"…You ruined my life." Rinoa murmured while closing her eyes, not wanting to witness his reaction to her devastating words. Squall immediately released her tensed shoulders.

Rinoa's heart had been aching to let him know, but at the same time, she wanted to tell him how terribly he was missed. Confused at her own mixed feelings, the young woman gave into the sorrow presently in her heart and began to sob before Squall.

Squall was not at all shocked; he had expected to see her cry yet again by his hands, but instead of standing and doing nothing, he placed his hands on her shoulders once more, much more gentle than before.

Feeling guiltier than ever, he pulled her against his body and gave her all the comfort she deserved and so greatly needed at the moment. Rinoa had naturally moved her arms up and around his waist, holding him tightly and crying into his chest. Trying to soothe his wife's mind, Squall smoothed his hand onto the back of her head and stroked her darkened hair. A risky move on his behalf, he understood, but he would do anything to keep her from crying another second, crying for the rest of her life.

"Squall, don't… You can't just show up like everything's fine when _nothing_ is!"

He whispered, "For everything I put you through…I'm paying for it, believe me. And it took four long years for me to realize that there's no way I can live without you."

Rinoa cried harder into Squall's chest, digging her nails into his back, but she pulled herself away from his embrace and wiped her face. "…I had just begun to put all this behind me…why…why would you come back _now_?"

"…Does that mean I still have a chance?"

"…Squall…just… just give me some time. Please. I…I have to go."

He nodded and stepped back from her, "I understand. Well…"

"Goodnight." She said and started her way back into town. If she had stayed any longer, she might have told him about Rori; Rinoa cursed herself for not making the move despite her own fears…

He watched her leave, studying her body as she walked away and out of sight. Squall sighed to himself as the love of his life left him in the midst of the cold air with only the factor of hope to warm his heart.

* * *

_**Author's Corner**_ **_

* * *

_**

_**Okay, Okay, I decided not to keep you waiting long, silver-nex, lol, thanks for the review. I feel that with this chapter, things will begin to go somewhere. Yay! **_

_**Hmm, I've suddenly gotten inspiration and the wheels in my mind have been turning! I have fully decided to follow through with this story and finish it really soon or...you know, as much as I can! (If I stop, I might lose my steam, lol) **_

_**Thanks again, silver-nex! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.**_

_**Alright, Alright, and to everyone else that reads too, Thanks! (Tell me what you guys think, talk to me:P) The next chapter, I'm working on, so don't worry! It'll come around.**_

_**StardustRay**_


	6. Truth or Lies

**_Disclaimer: I don't own it now, and I won't own it ever. (One thing you'll learn about me is that I never say never.) heh.._**

**_

* * *

_**

**_Chapter 6: Truth or Lies…_**

* * *

Seifer Almasy walked inside his condo in downtown Balamb, tossing his keys onto a dresser as he shut the front door behind. He had rented the place out for a _week_ and after awhile, decided to buy it from his landlord. Despite the rest of Downtown Balamb, which reeked of city constructions, his condo was faced near the sea and held one of the best views of the ocean, but with the city directly behind, he often felt like he had been living with his father in Deling City once again. 

Being a first class rich kid, Seifer had grown up with many luxuries and often got his way when growing up. But as he had matured, he realized not everyone was thrilled because of his family's wealth. He was despised and feared, and often had trouble with '_friends'_, hence, people only befriended him because of his money or just because being with him would somehow make them important. Deling City, a city of hungry moneygrubbers, a city he had moved from to live life somewhere the people would appreciate him for who he was without his money.

The blonde ran a hand through his hair and walked to his refrigerator to grab a bottle of water. Although tiny, the condo was more than enough space for one person, to _him_ at least. He didn't mind having only one bedroom and bathroom, or that there was only one big living room where the countertop worked as a dividend between the living room and the kitchen.

Seifer saw a red light blinking on his telephone as he pulled the bottle away from his mouth; he realized someone had left a message for him. "…Oh great…who needs a favor _now_?" He pushed down the confirm button swearing if it were his parents, he'd pull the phone from its plug and out of the wall. But to his surprise, he was relieved to find Rinoa's voice coming from the phone instead.

"…_Hi Seifer, it's Rinoa. I just wanted to tell you that I won't be able to see you for a while. Things aren't exactly going well right now, and I…well I have a lot of business to take care of. Please understand, and thanks."_

"Business?" He questioned aloud, remembering their date days ago. He understood she hadn't felt too well when he dropped her off, so what if she was trying to avoid him now? Had he really made her uncomfortable? Seifer groaned, thinking he might have rushed things between the two of them. He realized that she still had a busy life, raising a daughter on her own, trying to find a job to support them; he admired Rinoa.

In all his life, he never dated a woman with such a good and intelligent head on her shoulders until Rinoa. Despite her current dilemma, she wasn't dating him for his money. Rinoa had never begged for a single piece of gil from him, though he wouldn't mind supporting her. If anything, he wanted to see little Rori happy, to have new clothes and toys like any other kid should have. Seifer smiled to himself when he remembered Rori snuggling against a bear that he purchased for her; a little brown bear whose fur was a soft as cotton and feathery against the skin, and the best part was its glassy blue eyes, a favorite feature to Rori. Rinoa told him the child could never sleep without it, something that warmed his heart; something that made him appreciate the two of them even more.

Unsure if he should return her call or not, Seifer rubbed his chin with the side of his water bottle then set it down onto the countertop. He groaned, wondering if her calling was a hint to leave her alone, or if it were a cry for help; after all, her voice had sound a little edgy over the phone. Deciding against the odds, Seifer picked the phone up and began to dial for Rinoa's home, but instead found that no one was there to answer. Sighing in defeat, Seifer let the phone rest and bit his lower lip fiercely.

"…What if she really can't stand me anymore?" He asked, folding his arms as he leaned against the counter and rested his head into the seat his arms had created. He recalled her distant behavior when the two had been dancing in the restaurant at Balamb, how Rinoa had almost pushed him away when he kissed her goodnight.

Seifer rubbed his forehead and tried to relax his shoulders. He needed to be sure the two of them hadn't fallen out…he needed to see her again and soon.

* * *

"_What do you mean Squall saw Rori?"_ Rinoa gasped into the phone, almost choking on the food she had been chewing. 

"It's true." Selphie said while hiding herself from the hallway that lead to the bedrooms in her home, assuring Rori wouldn't overhear her conversation with Rinoa. She had long put the child to bed since the earlier incident occurred in which Rori had indeed spoken to her father unknowingly.

"_Selphie, that's not good. What if…"_ Rinoa said, managing to cease her coughing. _"…What if he knows now? …What if he appears again just to see her?"_

"Well, I can't say for sure, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. Rori doesn't know who he is…and I know I can say the same thing for him."

"…_Still…it's too risky, Sel. I can't let her stay over there anymore, not another day. Selphie, please pack Rori's things…because first thing tomorrow, I'm coming to pick her up, okay?"_

"Rinoa…when will you tell him about her?" Selphie asked without warning. She was concerned for her friend and trusted she could do well on her own, but sometimes the things Rinoa suggested, like _this_ for example, was completely wrong…

"…_I'm sorry. Just…please have Rori ready to go by the time I get there tomorrow, okay?"_

Selphie sighed, "…Okay."

"_Thank you."_ Rinoa muttered, and after listening to Selphie muffle one 'mHm,' she hung up her phone. The two women, although separate at the time, sighed simultaneously and eased back onto their sofas, thinking about the troubling things that occurred so quiet and secretly.

* * *

The following morning, Squall rose, feeling as though he could take on the world. He smiled at the reflection staring back at him, overtaking the dullness that once filled the entire room and his _own_ soul. For once in the mirror, he saw a person he could be proud of, he saw himself… 

With Rinoa opening up to him once again, Squall knew better days would be in store for the two of them. He smirked and whispered, "Goodbye, mystery guy." Laughing at his own sarcasm, he realized he needed to apologize to Zell about walking out after the blonde had told his own joke, a joke that had strangely stood out in his mind. Squall thought to himself, _Why would Zell even joke about some girls anyway? The guy's a nutcase…_

With a shrug his shoulders, he sighed, "…Well, whatever, I can't afford to lose another job. I better go apologize to him today." He said, getting together and later marching out of his room to take on another day in Balamb.

The hostess smiled at the front desk, "Have a good day sir."

"You too." He said, heading out of the door quickly.

Squall had almost jogged through the town, passing a few houses and shops on the corners just to get down the street and into Zell's shop. When he approached the opened garage door, he was surprised to find Zell talking with a tall brunette whose hair was kept back in a tight ponytail, and wore a burgundy apron that was tied to the back around his t-shirt and jeans. The two men turned around, wide-eyed for a moment before the brunette chucked out, "Speak of the devil! Squall, long time no see man!" Irvine held out his hand and walked toward him, and Squall, almost confused at the sudden change of reaction, had shaken it off to return the gesture. He smiled and greeted his longtime friend.

"Yeah, likewise." Squall said, moving back from their greeting.

"We were just talking about you; about the good old times when we'd all hangout."

"…Reminiscing about me like I'm dead?"

"No, you know that's not how it is! Anyway, I gotta run back to the store before I get fired." Irvine smirked and turned back to Zell, "Zell, I'll see you later. Just make sure you keep an eye out for my _stuff_!"

"Sure, I will. Seeya!" Zell called back, waving Irvine off with a soggy towel he had used to wipe an oil-stained piece of machinery. Zell stuffed the rag in his back pocket and eyed Squall, "So…have you come to _beg_ to get your job back?"

"…Beg?" Squall questioned, folding his arms and shifting most of his weight to his right leg. "…Look, I'm sorry about what happened yesterday…it wasn't appropriate, and it won't happen again."

Zell remained silent and folded his arms also, his stern face quickly changed into a smile, "I'm just kidding around, Squall, you don't have to take me so seriously, and you especially don't have to _beg_ me for your job. Get in here!"

Squall raised an eyebrow, "Who said I was begging?"

Zell laughed out loud and bent over because he had laughed so hard. "Yeah, don't try and play that way to me. I know you were serious." He raised his head, "And you don't have to worry. I won't tell anyone…it's _our little secret." _

"…I… think I wanna quit-"

"No! I really need help today, we've got a lot of work to do!" Zell pleaded and ran toward Squall, then pulled the man inside the garage quickly before he could escape. Squall couldn't help but laugh too.

Soon, the two men began work on an automobile that needed to be fixed by the end of the day. The entire time, they had an off and on conversation about Irvine's _stuff; _models of guns _and_ real shotguns he had been keeping in Zell's shop for the time being because Selphie would never allow them inside their home. Respecting his future wife's wishes, the _cowboy_ had found a way that would make _everyone_ happy: Selphie could live with the satisfaction of never having a single gun her home, Irvine would be able to keep and tune his weapons while having his good friend keep an eye on them, and Zell would have protection from anyone that might decide his shop is an easy target for a robbery.

Even so, there were things Zell didn't tell Squall, like why, for instance, the two had become nervous when Squall first showed up at the Garage's front door. Before Squall arrived, they were gossiping like two old women about the _latest_ on Squall and Rinoa's relationship…

"_Just as soon as we're free, I'm taking Selphie to the city for a little while. She's been complaining about not having comfortable clothes anymore-"_

"_Ah, the feminine hints, eh?"_

"_Yep…so, whenever she's free of Rori, I'm gonna take her there. Of course, the Gun Show is coming soon, so that'll be my excuse." Irvine let out a sneaky laugh and Zell sighed until he realization hit him._

"_Rori? What-is she at your house or something?"_

_"Yeah, Sel agreed to keep the kid until Rinoa got things under control with Squall, but Rin's coming over to pick her up from our place sometime today. …I don't know what's going on between those two… Anyway, Squall is very slippery. I haven't run into him since I heard he was back in town."_

_Zell grinned, "…Oh really? Don't worry about it; he's acting differently lately, meaning, if you see him…Beware."_

_"Nah, he won't be so grouchy. We go way back, Squall and me." Irvine said, touching his thumb to his chest. "Have you forgotten?"_

_"Well I've known him since we were kids, and right now he's got a serious temper, but I can't put it passed the guy."_

_"Yeah, Selphie said Rinoa's trying to get a divorce, but that was all… she doesn't know what's happened as of yet."_

_" Divorce? …You don't say." Zell grabbed his chin, "No wonder he was angry yesterday."_

_"…What happened?"_

_"He got upset when I made a joke about Rinoa and Rori…but…I didn't know why he reacted so…violently." The blonde said, his eyes moved about the room as he thought back to Squall's rage._

_"…" Irvine looked at the ground, and then pulled Zell into the shop from the lot, meeting his eyes alarmingly. "Zell, you idiot! You didn't tell him about Rori, did you?"_

_"…Um…not really. All I said was girls... Why? What is so wrong with that word?"_

_"The whole point of Rori staying with Selphie and me is to hide her from Squall. Selphie says Rinoa doesn't want him to know about Rori; she wants to ditch the guy and push him out of Balamb!"_

_"No way! You're kidding!" Zell yelled in disbelief. All that time he thought Rinoa and Squall were working through their problems but in reality, Rinoa was trying to destroy him…_

_"No, I wish I was!"_

_"That's bad, really bad. What the hell is wrong with Rinoa? She can't do that to him, besides Squall has to know about…you know who…" Zell said as Irvine let go of his shirt._

_Irvine had lowered his tone, "…I agree, but Rinoa would kill us if we said any-"_

"_Uh…" A foreign voice echoed from the ramp of the garage's driveway. And both men turned around to face Squall, looking like deer in headlights. Irvine gulped and displayed a cool smile before chucking out, "Speak of the devil! Squall, long time no see man!" _

As badly as Zell wanted to, he could _not_ break his promise and tell the man the truth. Now wouldn't have been the time… Squall seemed to be in a much better mood than before, and he realized he would probably need to wait until after the day's work; the car that was parked in his garage was a tough case, he would need all the help he could get.

* * *

Rinoa lifted the pages of her calendar hanging on the refrigerator's front; she fingered her way down a few months and stopped at one in particular. After carefully studying it, she realized the little girl was right. In about four months, Rori would in fact be, "Four! See, See! I told you momma! I'm makin' four in _four_ months!" She raised four fingers in the air and swirled around excitedly. Four being her birth number, four being one of the first of the highest numbers she had ever counted to on her own before. 

Rinoa smiled, shaking her head and kneeling down as she grabbed the girl's tiny hand and brought it closer to her face. Rori was stopped and faced to meet her mother's eyes, grinning from one ear to the other as Rinoa whispered, "You're going to be a big girl soon Rori." She said, touching Rori's chubby cheek and giving her nose a soft dab. "I love you."

"I love you too, mommy." Rori embraced her with a fierce bear hug that made Rinoa giggled, surprised at the little girl's strength. "Mommy?"

"Yeah sweetie?" Rinoa asked, still holding the girl to her chest.

"…Can I get a pony?"

"A pony? …_Rori_." She smirked and pulled away from the girl but found that Rori had been smiling; already knowing her mother would turn down the request.

"I know!" Rori said, "No, I _can't_ get a pony." She kissed Rinoa's cheek and broke out of her arms.

Rinoa laughed and stood up straight while yelling out, "Rori, since you're heading to your room…why don't you start getting your bed clothes out for me, alright?"

"Okay!" She shouted, her tiny voice traveling from her bedroom.

_Rori can be so cute sometimes… _Rinoa thought as she imagined the girl digging through her drawers to find her pajamas. It was unbelievable that in four months, Rori would be making four. To Rinoa, it felt almost like yesterday when she was on that table pushing so hard that her brain could seep from her ears. _Who_ knew that pregnancy could be such a terrifying experience, certainly not _men_, that's for sure. Suddenly the thought of men and pregnancy stirred her stomach…something that always happened whenever she thought of Squall's absence during her own. Could the timing have been more perfect? Did he know she was pregnant when he fled that night?

It was impossible, she had only learned she was pregnant the day after his leaving… He surly couldn't have known that _beforehand_, could he? No, it would remain impossible. Had he known, the first thing he would've asked for was his child… If anything, her secret was still safe; Rinoa _knew_ that much. And if Squall was concerned about the child he had run into before, then he would've called and asked her about the kid. She could be thankful the man had a knack for spitting out the first thing on his mind, something he practiced daily and took _ages_ to perfect.

Just as she fought off the rotten feelings and left the kitchen, she heard a familiar rapping on her door. After making her way to the front door, she opened it partially while peering through at her visitor.

"Hi Rin…" Squall's voice immediately flowed to her ears. How his voice had begun to calm her nerves once again, the way he held her at the docks… Rinoa wanted to come clean and confess everything to him, but…she couldn't understand what was holding her back.

_Oh no! Rori's here…with me! _With Squall so near and Rori there also, things were moving too fast for the young woman, and she felt her heart pounding in her chest again. "Rinoa?" Squall questioned, moving closer to the door, but Rinoa pushed her way out and closed it behind. Squall had stayed where he was, but Rinoa had run into him and felt her body pressing against his with her back to the door. He smelled fresh, fresh like he had just gotten out of the shower and put on his best cologne, one that hadn't clogged her nostrils like Seifer's had, one that she could snuggle with underneath the stars. Both blushed for a second before Squall took a step back, not wanting to appear too desperate.

After a moment of soft laughter from pure awkwardness, Rinoa lured him out to the steps and away from the house, away from his daughter.

"…Squall…we really should talk. You know…" She said, not wanting to give him direct eye contact; instead, she brought her eyes down to the concrete walkway, sneaking peaks of his body along the way. Sometimes she hated herself for thinking about the ups and downs of their relationship, sometimes she just wanted to jump on Squall and thank him for coming back to her life. Squall had on an ordinary white t-shirt with black pants and boots to go along with it; if she had seen another man wearing this, it would be just _another_ person…but with Squall…it was a different story. Rinoa could remember a time she had missed him so terribly, that she fell into the clothes he left behind in their closet, taking in the scent that remained…she was foolish.

"I know. I'm not expecting you to just…take me back instantly. I know it'll be a long time before that ever happens because…you're so ready to move on with your life. But _I'm_ not…I can't." Just listening to his voice had tingled her insides, she wondered if butterflies had softly grazed throughout her system. Rinoa shook away her sensitivity and fought back with whatever was causing her this _grand _distraction, and she remembered… _It's that cologne! Damn you Squall… Damn you for knowing what will work on me…_ She thought to herself as he continued, "…I can't move on Rinoa…"

No, he definitely didn't know of Rori's existence, and if he had, she wouldn't be speaking to him now. He would probably leave just like any coward does; after all, it was done before, leaving for four years, so think how easily it could happen again. Rinoa feared what might happen if Squall learned of Rori now. He would probably expect to have her all to himself, but when the child is thrown into the relationship, the reality sinks in, and everything goes wrong. Disaster was bound to happen regardless of which way Rinoa turned. So she summed up all her strength and responded, "…Squall, honestly…how long has it been? Do you really believe we can pick up where we left off?" She asked, her voice as soft and calm as his.

"I _know_ we can. …If you were completely ready to leave me, then you would be engaged to another man by now. Rinoa…" He took a step closer and reached for her hand, "_I've_ changed… Things will be different this time…not like before when I stopped pampering you and gave up… Back then, I didn't know what love was… I just bought you everything I saw. I wanted the best for you…for us. …I wanted to please your father because…" He looked at the ground and muttered, "…Because he thought I didn't deserve you."

Rinoa was lost within her vessel…she wanted to rid this man from her life, but at the same time she wanted to hold him and be with him forever. She hated Squall for always knowing her weaknesses; he knew how to get his way with her. Using the father trick had always worked whenever the two of them had a rough argument. A simple 'my father was right about you' could send any argument into heated flames that would eventually end in the two of them making up, something they both looked forward to. But this case was different…if she would say that, then Squall might not make up with her. He would leave, and she would _never_ see him again. Wasn't that what she wanted? Wasn't it all she wanted was to have Squall hitting the road and out of her life forever? Somehow…hearing the truth had ached her heart terribly, and she felt guiltier than ever. Accusing him of being selfish and leaving, but there she was, keeping his life, his flesh away from him, _Rori._

When Rinoa raised her eyes to meet Squall's again, she saw tears gradually welding. She wanted to speak, but couldn't get passed his eyes. Those azure eyes matched Rori's perfectly, and there was no denying that he was her father, indeed. And if she could count every single day she had looked into Rori's blue eyes, wishing for Squall…Rinoa would count days for eternity. With her soul weighing down the toll of compassion, Rinoa knew she had to get the truth to the surface, and _right away_. Just as she parted her lips to confess from her drying throat, Squall released her hand gently as he muttered, "…He was right…wasn't he?"

"…Who…?"

"…Your dad…I guess I'm as easy to read as a book cover…" Squall said, thinking back to the words his own father spat to him the night before their wedding. If that man had never released his venom, he would never be in this situation now. He was stupid for taking his father's advice and enjoying his life on his own, depending on no one and always alone. He had even begun to hate the man with a passion because of the nonsense, but when Rinoa's father made a perception about him _before_ he had ever left, he just couldn't take it any longer. Squall was weak and bought almost anyone's words, that was his main flaw. But now…what if this man wasn't wrong about his observation, what if his statement made all the sense in the world? What if, in fact, Rinoa really hated him? After all, she never responded to his words about her father, had she? So that meant she would secretly agree with her father and take _his_ side, right?

Deciding he could take the pain no more for one day, Squall turned away from Rinoa and paced to the road before her house. There was nothing he could do to change her mind because it was already set on their divorce. And if she really wanted it that much, then… Squall sighed as he thought to himself, _Then I'll let her have her way- _But he felt a soft and gentle hand grab his own from his left side to pull him back with force; all his shoulder yanked backward toward the pull that _demanded_ he stop.

When Squall turned his head, he saw Rinoa clutching his hand in hers with tear-drenched cheeks and heartrending eyes. Her soft pale face crinkled and quickly became rosy pink, and her feathery bangs had fallen softly passed the corners of her eyes. The long dark strands, drenched by her tears, were sticking to her moistened lips, yearning to be picked away and caressed by him.

Squall faced his entire body toward Rinoa as he realized she was crying for _him_, stopping him from leaving. And even in her saddest state, Rinoa could be more beautiful than anything he had ever seen or imagined.

Through her parting lips, Rinoa grimaced, "…Don't leave me again…" She had taken a deep breath, but felt a rush of emotion expend and caused her to cry out, "Squall…!"

And Squall immediately moved his hand closer to her face and peeled away the stubborn locks that clung to her innocent features. He pushed the bangs behind her ear as he closed the gap between their bodies with a gentle hand on her waist, pulling her closer. Rinoa could barely keep her eyes open as she wasunsure to have actually given in to Squall, giving in to her need for him, and Squall never wanted to close his eyes; he had waited too long to be this close to Rinoa, he didn't want to miss any second. Staring into her chocolate eyes that were lost in his own, he hoped she would savor every moment as he when he inched his face closer to hers, feeling her breath heavy against his. And Squall brushed his lips across hers, remembering every detail and feel as he pushed harder against the firmness, pressing softly into them until he felt Rinoa return his gesture. He could feel her lips and her body moving closer to his warmth, leaving a lingering kiss on his lips as she had rested her hand on his chest, and pushed him back, unlocking their kiss just as soon as it began.

She looked down, purposely avoiding his eyes, not wanting to see the hurt she would cause him, "…Squall…I…" Rinoa had no idea what she wanted to say; all the thoughts and words had hidden themselves from her mind.

He covered her hand with his and pressed it harder onto his chest near his heart, so she could feel it pounding underneath her fingertips, and he muttered, "You're not the only one who's scared…and you're the only person that can make my heart beat so many times in a second… I wasn't lying to you when I said I was hurting everyday because of what I did. And saying that I'm sorry will never…it will never do… That's why I need to come back…and that's why I want to be a part of your life again Rinoa… I lo-"

She had silenced his words with a hand covering his mouth; if he had continued, she could never forgive herself. There he was, admitting to his sins and wrongdoing, and blaming himself for _everything_ that ever went wrong, when she stood before him, just as guilty as he was. Somewhere deep in her heart, something warned her that if she would tell him about Rori n_ow_, he would take back everything he said and leave again… Not wanting things to end on bad terms once more, Rinoa broke from his grip and took a step back. She had gained control of her senses and cleared her throat before speaking, "…It's getting late… You should go…" She said, the sun had already been on the verge of vanishing behind the clouds, the orange sky told them so. Still, where was she sending him, certainly not _home_, _this_ was his home.

But before she could make her words clearer, Squall nodded once and smiled, "Yeah…"

Rinoa was relieved to see him turning and walking away. Although a little lonely about his leaving still, she felt confident that he wouldn't leave Balamb, not after a kiss like that. Rinoa placed a curious finger over her lips, rubbing them softly as she wondered if Squall knew she was still in love with him also. The thought sent chills down her spine and made her shiver, from the cold or _heat,_ Rinoa could not determine, but she knew in her heart that she could never, just as he, _could never_ live without him either.

* * *

Squall walked toward the hotel, smiling to himself about what had just happened. He made excellent progress, broke the ice around Rinoa's heart. He knew that whatever would happen next; Rinoa would _never_ forget that moment…an eternity in one minute. He smiled satisfactorily… 

"Hey you!" A voice yelled from beside him on his right. When Squall looked over to the road, he saw a blonde emerge from the driver side of the crimson sports car, and walk closer to him. "Who do you think you are!" The man yelled angrily.

Squall immediately lost his smile when the blonde paced toward him quickly and stopped inches away from him. "Don't you ever put your hands on Rinoa again!" He said, pushing Squall back, but when Squall got a good look at his car and then his attacker, he realized who the blonde was.

"Mystery man." He muttered before retaliating with a hand that lunged toward the younger man's neck and rammed him against the side of his parked car. Anger flushed within him as he recalled this same man being inside her house, closing her curtains, taking her to dinner, and _kissing _her! Squall squeezed his hand around the man's throat, and through gritted teeth he spoke, "For your information, Rinoa is _my_ wife. That means _you_ stay the _hell_ away from her… Do I make myself clear?"

Seifer hadn't expected the shorter man to fight back with such force. From a distance, the brunette didn't appear to be too much of a challenge; thereby, a quick threatening would scare him away from _his_ girl for good. He had watched them from afar the entire time, hoping that the man was just an acquaintance of hers and would leave soon, but as time went on, the two had gotten closer to one another and Seifer knew what would happen next. He had pulled away from his parking spot and decided to teach his competitor a lesson. Little did he know, the man was actually the long lost husband of Rinoa…the same man that left her to rot for so many years of her life with a child. Remembering this, Seifer decided to hurt the man's ego…

Squall hadn't waited for an answer; instead, he released the frightened blonde and backed away. He watched the young man scamper off to the driver side of his car and get in quickly while yelling, "She may be your wife, but I know you don't really give a damn about _her or_ Rori!" And with that, the blonde peeled off from the side of the road, leaving Squall with a trail of dust to dirty his face and sting his eyes, and also…a name.

Squall looked at the ground and thought for a second about the blonde's words, and finally questioned aloud, "...Who the _hell_ is _Rori_?"

_**

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_**Once upon an Author's Corner**_

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_**(hehe…) **_

_**Didn't I say the wheels have been turning…be it good or bad, you can totally blame on me. So go ahead, lend me a review and tell me how I've interested you. Thanks! ---also note that the chapter is longer than the others simply because it might be awhile before I can update again---**_

_**Of course, thanks to: (And you guys scared me, I had thought I did something wrong here, lol) **_

_**Amy- It's been awhile, hasn't it? I'm glad to see you're doing okay. Thanks for the inspiring words, and I hope to hear from you again sometime!**_

_**Lady-Rinoa- I'm sorry I made you cry! -wipes your tears and hands you cookies- Don't worry, I hope to make it a little better for you. (And of course you're my friend, as much as you've looked out for me, I couldn't ask for anything more!) **_

_**RinLeonhart- Thank you so much, your constant support is really driving me to finish. I know I can do continue, now!**_

_**Ayato-Hey there, I've been challenging myself a little more and I hope to see more improvement in my writing, so thanks for the compliment. It really means a lot!**_

_**Blue- Talk about Mushiness! Lol, I don't know where all that came from…and I'm a little surprised at myself you know? And I do believe this chapter to be the corniest of them all, lol. What do you think? And as for Seifer, he's a tough guy but don't worry about it. (I'll say I've given him a rough time too many stories now, right?) So you can relax 'cause Seifer's alright. lol**_

_**Silver-Nex- Yeah, Rori is really cute! Lol. Like I told the person before you, Seifer is looking out for Rinoa, so he shouldn't be too much of a problem…right? I'm really glad you reviewed again, thanks so much!**_

_**Okay everyone…that about wraps it up for me this time. There isn't much to say about this chapter except…well…it took a lot of work, so review or whatever. lol Thanks again! **_

_StardustRay_

_**(And today marks the day I post my newest action/fantasy story up, Woo!) Actually…it's just a teaser… :P ---Eternal Breath---**_


	7. The Calm Before The Storm

_**Please don't harm me! I didn't intend to write another long one! But know that I talk a lot in my little corner, so think ofit as taking up most of the space whichmakes it seem longer. Yeah! -oh yeah, it's obvious... -whispers- I don't own Final Fantasy 8.**_

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_**Chapter 7: The Calm Before the Storm**_

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"Hey Sefie, are you sure you got everything?" Irvine asked his young fiancée while setting down a brown medium-sized suitcase. The two had packed lightly for their three-day trip away from town to supposedly shop for new clothes and accessories, but Irvine was more infatuated with the thrilling Gun Show that would be taking place in the city district. 

"I don't know… I feel like I'm forgetting something." The petite brunette said, scratching the side of her head as a long list of things she would need and had already packed appeared in her mind. She looked around their living room once more before folding her arms and sighing in disgust. "I can't take it! What am I forgetting?"

"…Do I need to read from the list _again_?" Irvine asked, kicking the suitcase across the floor.

"No! We've done that seven times already!"

"Well then let's go! I don't see _why_ we're bringing all this stuff along anyway. We're only going away for _three_ days. And its not like we're in for a long ride back if we forget something because downtown Balamb is only a few miles away!"

"But still, I want to be _prepared_. I don't want to go all the way there and discover my toothbrush isn't packed—speaking of---"

"Side compartment, under the folded towels beside your rinse, and soap; Sefie, _sweetie_, it's _already _packed! We've checked _five_ times!" Irvine laughed, resting his hands at Selphie's sides from behind. "Besides, if we forget something, we'll just buy another when we get there… Face it, we're going there to shop anyway, right?"

Selphie relaxed and leaned back into Irvine's hold as she smiled, "That's right. I don't know what I'm thinking. Let's hurry up and get out of here!" She said, grabbing his hands and pulling him toward the door.

Irvine was practically dragged from the house until he chucked out, "Selphie, we're leaving luggage!"

"Oh!" She giggled while looking back at him, "I'm sorry! …Hey, I've gotta call Rin!"

"Okay, I'll load up the rest and then we'll head out, alright?"

"Alright." He gave her a quick peck before the two parted their separate ways. Selphie picked up the telephone and dialed for Rinoa, waiting only a few minutes before receiving an answer.

"_Hello?" _

"Hi Rin, it's Selphie!"

"_Oh, hey! What's going on?"_

"Irvy and I are hittin' the road and won't be back for a few days, so I was calling just to say bye to you and Rori."

"_That's great, but…Rori's still asleep."_

"Ah…well, that's too bad…" Selphie sighed into the phone, "…Rinoa, how are things holding up? Irvine talked to Zell and found out Squall's been working at the shop for a little while now. And he says Squall isn't doing too well."

Rinoa laughed into the phone, _"…He can take care of himself. I'm just glad to hear he's working again."_

"No Rin, Zell _knows_ Rori… Have you forgotten?"

"……._"_

"Rinoa?"

"…_I didn't think about that."_

"So what are you going to do?"

"…_What am I going to do? …Nothing. …He hasn't asked about her yet so I'm fully convinced Zell kept that big mouth of his shut. Besides,_ _we've…gotten a lot closer during these past few days. So I'm hoping to tell him…soon."_

"_Really?_ I'm so happy for you, Rin! …But…umm…what about…you know."

"…_Seifer?"_

"…Yeah."

"_Well…I…"_

"Rinoa…you can't keep them both, you do know that, don't you?"

"_Of course I do…but…" _Rinoa sighed_, " Don't worry, I'll…I'll figure something out, I promise."_

"Good!" Selphie said, but was interrupted by Irvine tapping his foot with a grin. "Oh, Rinoa, I have to go now. We can't waste anymore time, so tell Rori bye for me, okay?"

"_Okay. You two have fun now."_

"We will!" Both Selphie and Irvine yelled into the phone, she had allowed Irvine to listen in on the last few words of her conversation. "Later Rin!" Both shouted into the phone and received a shaky answer from Rinoa's behalf, _"Yeah, later."_

When hanging up the phone, Selphie turned to Irvine and smirked, "We can go because I'm _confident_ we have _everything_."

"Not quite. It looks a little hazy out there so I'm thinking we'll need our umbrellas…"

"…And where are they?"

"…I can't remember."

"_IRVINE!"_

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Rinoa stared at the phone in a daze. All this time, Squall had been working with Zell, probably asking him all that he wanted to know. She knew Zell would mouth off about everything; after all, he was responsible for the town knowing of Squall's departure. She groaned and stood to her feet, and it was then that Rinoa noticed very little sunlight had illuminated the room. When walking to her window, she saw a gloomy shadow luring over Balamb, overcast and windy. _…It's going to storm. _Rinoa thought to herself, backing away from the window as she heard Rori's tiny feet thumping into the living room.

"G'morning!" She called out, and Rinoa displayed a fake smile as she turned to her daughter.

"Oh, morning, Rori. Had a good sleep?"

"Yeah! I missed my bed!" Rori said, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she jumped into Rinoa's opened arms. She snuggled her little body into the depths of her mother's warmth and muffled into Rinoa's chest, "Mommy…?"

"Hmm?"

"Who was that man you were talking to yesterday?"

"…What man, sweetheart?" Rinoa questioned, knowing exactly whom Rori was talking about, yet she played innocent.

"The man with the brown hair, he's the same man that saved Sefie's _card_!"

Now Rinoa, before answering Rori's question, wondered just _how_ Rori knew Squall had visited them. She decided to question the little girl in hopes of changing the direction of their conversation. "Rori…how did you know about him?"

Rori became silent. Rinoa could imagine the girl's eyes growing as wide as a cow's, knowing she was caught in the act of doing something wrong.

"_Rori_?" Rinoa questioned with the intimidating tone of a strict mother.

Rori giggled against Rinoa's chest and hid her face as she admitted in one yell, "I was looking out the window!"

"Uh-_huh_, so you were _spying _on me!" Rinoa said lifting the girl in the air and away from her body. Rori laughed, knowing the sound of her mother's playful voice.

She chuckled, "I'm sorry!"

Rinoa put her down, "No…you can't apologize to _me_. …Ms. Tickles wants a word with you!"

"NO!" Rori laughed and took off running to her room, hounded by Rinoa whose fingers readied to tickle her until she could laugh no more. She laughed until she had forgotten the reason for her mother's _madness_, and all along, Rinoa knew she would have to tell Rori soon. Trying to figure out a way _to_ tell her had been the problem. Rinoa also knew Rori would need her father, if not now, then someday, and there was no way Seifer would be able to take on that role. Only one person could…_Squall. _

* * *

In the late afternoon, Squall was busy fixing an oil leak on the car he and Zell were supposed to have finished before, but the day grew late quickly and soon after, the two men found themselves calling it a quits. Zell was glad to see the owner hadn't stopped in, meaning it would give him a little more time to finish up the repairs; an oil leak, two busted tires, and a dirty muffler, obviously their hands were full. Squall hadn't mind the extra work; in fact, he was thrilled about it. 

When working, Squall tended to think clearly and organize his thoughts. Today, his mind was focused on the words of a mere stranger. All day long, a four-lettered word had been eating away at his mind, and almost caused him to puncture another oil leak within the vehicle's structure. Lying on his back and underneath the car, Squall shook his head to focus, as the name seemed to emerge from his mind: _Rori. _

He groaned, his breath grumbling like the thunders outside of the shop. Zell instantly looked up from his station and laughed, "What's the matter, Squall? Scared of a little thunder?"

Squall laughed it off coolly, disregarding his previous thoughts. "Sure Zell, but at least I didn't wet my pants when lightning str-"

"Shut your face, I was only a kid!" Zell sneered.

"You were _eight_ years old!"

The blonde scolded, "So? Drop it before I _fire_ you!"

"I thought you said you'd never do that?"

"Tch! Well I just changed my mind!"

Squall sniggered, "Whatever."

Even with the lighthearted joking from Zell, Squall still felt so much weight on his shoulders. He could swear that if the car above his body would fall and crush him with its incredible weight, it still wouldn't feel as bad as he had in that moment. And as another thunder cloudrumbled, he sighed to himself, "…Rinoa."

Meanwhile, Rinoa and Rori were watching television together on the sofa of their living room, muting out the sounds of the rain's downpour and boisterous thundering. Rinoa smirked at the 'kiddy' cartoon on television as she watched the characters bouncing around onscreen, making Rori giggle softly into her stomach. Just as the giggled was about to become a full roll of laughter, Rinoa heard someone knocking at her door. She quietly lifted Rori from her stomach as she muttered, "I'll be right back."

"Okay." Rori said, eyes never moving from the television. Rinoa shook her head and then made her way to the front door.

She had opened it slowly, believing that blue eyes would meet her own when instead they were green. Seifer peered inside with a smirk, "Hey."

"Seifer? What are you doing here?"

"I…I…um…" He scratched the back of his head with a huff. "How are you?"

"…I'm fine." Rinoa answered unsurely.

"Good…that's great." He said, grinning nervously and fidgeting around.

"…You still haven't answered me."

"Oh…that…" He looked the other way and sighed while biting his bottom lip. Looking away, he realized the clouds had become darker than before, and not only was the drizzling intensifying, but the winds gusted harder as well. He faced Rinoa with a smile as he asked, "Do you mind if we talked inside, the storm's getting a bit wild."

"…Sure." Rinoa opened the door wider and allowed him to walk inside.

Instantly a little voice roared across the room. "Seifa!" He immediately winced; Seifer was not expecting Rori to be there with Rinoa again.

"Hey Rori!" He said, kneeling down when he saw the girl charging toward him in haste. Rori jumped on him and nearly made him fall back onto the floor. Rinoa covered her mouth and chuckled at the two of them, as Rori tightened her arms around his neck. "Rori, I can't breathe!"

She laughed and released him, "Sorry."

"It's okay. You're getting stronger! After a while, you'll be able to squeeze the life right out of me!" He joked, placing Rori back onto her feet and then standing to his own.

She jumped up and down in excitement, glad to see her friend's return as she yelled, "I'm gonna be a giant!"

He patted her head and smiled, "Sure you will. Attack of the fifty foot-"

"Seifer!" Rinoa laughed, walking to the two of them. "Rori, you'll miss your favorite cartoon. Go on and watch it, okay?"

Rori nodded and ran to the sofa, diving across its cushions as Rinoa turned to Seifer and placed her hands on her hips. "What is it?"

Seifer looked from Rinoa to Rori and sighed, "…Umm…I was really hoping you were alone."

"Why?"

"…Can we talk in private?"

"Seifer, what's going on? Why can't you just tell me?"

"…Because… Well…it's about _him."_

"Who?"

Seifer looked at Rori once more, her attention fully captured by the television. He whispered to Rinoa, "…Your husband."

"Squ-"

Seifer covered her mouth quickly before she spoke his name aloud. He knew she would be shocked about his encounter with the hostile brunette. "Yeah, whatever his name is. …Can we talk in the back?"

"Sure, follow me." Rinoa said, leading Seifer out of the living room and into her bedroom. As the two entered the cozy room, Rinoa closed the door behind and folded her arms, awaiting Seifer's words. "What happened…?"

Seifer rubbed his face and nervously began tell Rinoa about his violent encounter with Squall. He had mentioned everything from what he saw moments before and after, to how he had departed with a heart of truth. As Seifer continued onward with his story, he noticed Rinoa's eyes were twinkling with sad tears.

Rinoa took a seat on the bed and covered her face with her hands, and Seifer had sat beside her, putting his arm around her. Leaning closer into his embrace, she stifled, "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about him sooner."

"It's alright, Rinoa. If he ever comes near you again, just know that I'll be here to protect you." Seifer muttered, kissing the top of her head.

And that was exactly the problem. Rinoa knew if Squall ever came near her again, she wouldn't _want _Seifer's protection, but she would want for _Squall's_, and she would _need_ Squall.

Seifer continued, "…And that bastard, he didn't even flinch when I mentioned Rori. I didn't see anything in his eyes."

"…What do you mean 'when you mentioned Rori'?" Rinoa asked, pulling herself away from his body and staring into his face.

Seifer merely smirked, remembering his own cowering at the time. Yelling and then pulling off, indeed, a smart move. He could feel a slight lie tugging on his tongue as he opened his mouth again, "Well, I—"

"You _didn't_ mention Rori…"

Unbelievable, even before he could finish coming up with some excuse that wouldn't make him look like a coward, she saw right through it."…Why? You're acting like he doesn't know she exists."

"…Because he doesn't!" Rinoa yelled, shoving Seifer's arm.

"What are you talking about? You told me he left you with a baby, didn't you?"

"But I didn't mean it _literally_. I told you Squall left me a long time ago, and that I hadn't known we were expecting."

"…So…he has no idea who Rori is…?"

"Right…" Rinoa said softly, turning her head away with shame in her eyes. Seifer stood from the bed and paced the floors quickly. "…Seifer?"

"No…" He said, fanning Rinoa's voice from his mind as he recalled his encounter with Squall. A man he once hated, and now…a man he could probably relate to. Seifer faced Rinoa as his pacing came to stop. "…You haven't told him, have you?"

It was that question again, the same question that Rinoa had been hearing repeatedly throughout the past days. She tired of that questioned, and she tired of those who asked it, hoping they would give her time to think, hoping they would leave her alone and let her solve this mind boggling puzzle game called life. She wondered how several individuals could have the same thought running through their minds whenever the subject of Squall erupted, but then the woman would stop and remember that she too had stopped to question her own judgments. _What if I'm making a mistake?_ She'd always ask, hoping a voice would answer and give her every answer to every problem she encountered.

With Rinoa already in deep thought, Seifer added to her thinking load, "Rinoa, why haven't you told him yet? You're killing the guy."

Just as she placed her hands over her ears to block out his meddling, the sound of a loud thunderbolt boomed aloud and gave her a fright. For a slight second, the power shifted, and there was a flash of light throughout the room. Rinoa took a deep breath and removed her hands from her face, groaning, "I…I wanted to tell him. I almost did, yesterday…"

"Well, what about Rori? Does she know?"

Rinoa looked away as she muttered, "…No."

Seifer stared at Rinoa, trying to understand what would cause her to hold back the truth from people who deserved to hear it the most. He cared for Rori, he had cared for her like a little sister, and seeing Rori without her father would hurt him. Sure, he was forced to live with his own father, a man whose time was not his own, but he had always been grateful to having something of him, even if it meant spending two seconds with him before watching the man depart for work; Seifer was grateful for having that, at least. He had gathered his breath, ready to speak his mind when they both heard Rori knocking at the door.

"Mommy, the TV's not working!"

Rinoa was silent. It was quite obvious she had heard the child, but opted not to reply. Instead she sat, arms folded and head directly facing the door.

"Mommy?" Rori questioned from behind the door.

Rinoa finally answered her, "Rori, just go in your room and play."

"But the TV's---"

Rinoa lost her temper, "_Rori_ _stop whining_ and go to your room!"

"_Rinoa!"_ Seifer said, giving her a questionable glare. "Why'd you yell at her? She doesn't have anything to do with this! I know that's why you're raising your tone!"

"I know, but I can't take it anymore!" Rinoa cried out. "Everyone's looking at me, waiting for me to make the move! You have no idea how hard it is for me to even speak to him! All the hurt and pain he's caused me! No one has stopped to think about me for a second because it's _always_ about him! What if I do tell him about Rori huh? What if I finally managed to say everything that was on my mind? Then what! Did you ever think about this situation for _me_!"

"Of course I do Rinoa, that's why I'm talking to you now. Listen to me, once you tell him about Rori, you'll feel better."

"Well I can't! Okay! I admit it! I'm afraid, I'm a _coward_!"

"What are you afraid of, you've already been through the worst! What could be worst than that!"

Rinoa screamed out, "Because Rori might not be wanted!" She had screamed, feeling all her pressure rise and her face heat with anger. She was trembling. Seifer walked near and took the fragile woman into his arms, easing all what was left of her distraught soul.

Moments later as things had settled down inside the bedroom, Rinoa decided she should apologize to Rori about yelling at her. She hadn't meant to lose control on her own daughter, but the heat continued to grow within her, bursting on the first thing that would temper it, Rori. Rinoa wiped her puffy eyes and walked to Rori's room, opening the door and walking over the little girl's bed. "Rori?" Rinoa questioned, noticing the strange silence in the room. She had sent Rori to her bed about thirty minutes ago, so why hadn't the girl been lying down. Rinoa soon realized Rori wanted the TV to work so badly and figured she might have been seated on the sofa. "Rori!"

Walking out into the living, Rinoa was surprised to find it too, empty. The young woman placed her hands on her hips before turning around and seeing Seifer walking from the hallway. "Seifer…is Rori in the bathroom?"

"I don't think so. It was empty when I walked by."

"…Oh no." Rinoa covered her mouth, "She must have heard me..."

"…Rinoa?"

Rinoa stared into Seifer's eyes. "Rori's gone!"

* * *

_**Once upon an Author's…Struggle? (hehe)**_

* * *

_**So, yeah…I have obviously taken my sweet little time with this update. Haven't I? I just hope I didn't screw up this time. :( Oh well, I guess it's up to you do decide now. And I bet you guys wasn't expecting this turn of events. (And if you did, then shame on you! –runs away crying-) lol**_

_**Thanks to:**_

_**Leonhartilly- Say, you reviewed the day I posted, I'm sorry I couldn't add you to the thanks list sooner. Please forgive me! –makes puppy eyes- hehe. Thanks for the review, and I do hope to keep the plot interesting! **_

_**Silver-nex- Calm yourself! Ease and breathe! Haha, We'll see when we get there. You make really good points, but…I can't speak about what's to come! Don't make me tell you! lol Thanks for the review, and a special thanks from me because I had no clue what I was doing with the kiss scene, lol. **_

_**Ayato- I'm really glad you enjoyed that last chapter, it really took a lot out of me. I was afraid I would stop writing this story. (It was so tiring!) Thanks again!**_

_**Lady-Rinoa- Hey, is your pc acting crazy? Beat it with a stick…heh, okay, don't do that, but I do hope it stops giving you trouble. Hey thanks, I was hoping it wasn't too sappy, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. My work has paid off, Yay!**_

_**Ittan-Momen- HEY! Where have you been, you scared the heck out of me! Do you know I thought something happened to you! Geez! **_**_-accepts thousands of cookies- Thank you! Oh yeah, I hadn't updated because things got terribly bad and I lost power. (Remember, the hurricanes) plus I lost the internet too, so that really sucked. And a lot of people didn't know I updated Between Heaven and Hell until like seven days later. (A super sappy ending, wasn't it? lol) No worries about the review mix-up, they're all going to the same person. Rori is definitely my favorite original character, aww… -splits cookies with Rori- Oh yeah; Squall could walk around in a muumuu and make it look good! O.O lol! By the way, tell your brother he missed a spot! Lol, I'm just kidding, don't hurt me! O.o Nice quote, I am definitely remembering that one as well! In fact, I'll close out with it, so hah! And yes, I hope to have more things heated up before I finish this story. So hang in there! It's good to see you again, and I'll take up your email, Yay! lol!_**

_**So folks, I apologize for another long chapter. I hope to clear up as much havoc I might create before I am shipped away to college… -cries- **_

…_**.So umm…please leave a review. lol**_

_**And as promised: **_

"_**There is no remedy for love but to love more." -**__**Anonymous? o.O**_

_**lol, Thanks again!**_

_**StardustRay**_


	8. Anxiety

_**-The eyes and ears of a child do not lie, for whatever that child may experience is forever branded onto his memory, but even that memory could be slightly exaggerated than the event as it actually took place; furthermore, not every memory is reliable, some children will block a memory from their mind if necessary, curiously, one horrific, most likely unforgettable, event.-**_

* * *

_**Chapter 8: Anxiety**_

* * *

The sound of the winds blowing as the thunderstorm swayed through Balamb viciously and menacingly had distracted Zell from his work. He looked at Squall and smirked. "…Hear that? Whenever _Mother Nature_ yells, it definitely means we should pack up and go." 

"…We're done?" Squall asked, wiping the oil from his hands on a rag.

Zell nodded. "We're done. …And I wanted to finish this baby off too." He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Oh well…"

Squall had taken off his layering uniform and walked toward the back of the shop, hanging them with the other uniforms that were unused as he sighed from his long day. The day had progressed slowly, and hours passed sluggishly as he and Zell had been working on the same car for yet _another_ day. He shifted his eyes to the dark car, gazing at the repairs that had been made. Unbelievably, it was fixed and finished, but Zell could be _quite _the perfectionist. Never wanting his work to leave any other way than perfect, the man spent hours at a time reviewing each step repeatedly until he was satisfied, something Squall feared would never happen.

He wiped his face with a clean hand towel and paced toward the closed garage door, closed when the droplets of rain first fell from the sky. He and Zell both could feel the water spraying in every so often, and when the coolness became too cold for the two to handle, the door was closed immediately. Squall opened the garage door by pressing a red button on the wall of its left side that shifted the door up and back to reach the top of the ceiling. His eyes were met with surprise when he saw just how dark the day had become. "…Zell…what time is it?"

"…About five or six…why---Frickin-" The blonde had looked up from some papers in his hand and witnessed the gloominess for himself. "…Hell…what's with the weather?"

"I have no idea, but…whatever, I'm going. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Uh, sure." Zell said, his eyes still glued to the scene.

"Are you gonna close the door?" Squall asked as he waved his hand from side to side at the entryway of the garage, hoping to get Zell's attention.

Zell shook his head furiously, snapping himself from the stare, and managed to answer Squall. "Um, yeah. Don't worry about it."

"Alright." Squall said, waving his hand back as he faced the open road. The drizzling had been intense, and he had begun to jog to the hotel to keep from getting soaked by the rain. Only today did he realized how close the distance between the shop and the hotel had been, an incredible discovery indeed.

Squall wiped the water from his face as he stepped inside the doorway of the hotel, greeted by the hostess as per usual, "Good evening, Sir."

"Hi." He said, stomping his feet on the rug to dry the bottom of his shoes. He quickly left the hall and headed to the stairwell, climbing up to his room, which had greeted him with a cool wave of wind from the air conditioner at full blast. He shuddered as soon as the air came into contact with him, freezing the rainwater that clung to his skin from outside.

Squall immediately turned the cooling device down to a minimum, and turned to face his bed. He saw that his phone was set on the floor. _What the hell? When did I…oh yeah, I remember. _He hadn't used it for a while, and the last time he had, he remembered leaving it on the floor. It was the day he rushed out to meet with Rinoa. Despite his knack for working so hard with Zell, Squall found he had pushed aside all thoughts of his personal life once Zell managed to bring up an embarrassing moment of their past about _him, _as a way to counter the incident from their youth. Needless to say, the two went back and forth about past things to put each other deeper into the hall of shame.

However, now that he was alone again, thoughts of Rinoa and her 'lover' began to cloud his mind with no restraint.

"_She may be your wife, but I know you don't really give a damn about her or Rori!"_

_Rori… _Why was that name haunting him so? He had escaped the need to call Rinoa all day long, he had purposely told himself to wait until after work to call her and ask about this _Rori_ person. He knew Rinoa would tell him if he would only ask, but how to bring up the question, how to ask without striking an argument?

But what about the blonde, wouldn't _he_ know more about Rori since he brought it up? Finding the blonde and squeezing information out of him would be much better than interrogating Rinoa; however, Squall wanted nothing more than to keep that man away from Rinoa as much as possible. He wanted nothing to do with him _or_ his _lies._ Having _his_ presence around would only delay his progression with Rinoa.

Squall merely bit his tongue at the thought of him. How dare the man intrude between Rinoa and he? He had no right… He would continue to win Rinoa's heart even if it meant making a few threats…

Finally, Squall had gotten the courage to pick up the phone and call Rinoa to ask about _Rori_. If she had known someone by that name, she wouldn't have hesitated to speak about him, would she? Squall braced himself as the phone continued to ring, it had been ringing for a few seconds now and he still hadn't received an answer. After more than five rings, Squall decided to hang up. Maybe Rinoa was out of the house at the moment? The brunette scratched his head as he thought to himself, _Who would leave out in a storm like this?_

* * *

By nightfall, the storm was intense. Rinoa feared her daughter was trapped somewhere and screaming for her help. The woman yelled for Rori at the top of her lungs beside Seifer as he drove less than three miles per hour down the road. The hours had passed by like minutes on a summer night, and deceived Rinoa into believing things had happened in just a _short_ amount of time. She remembered each frantic minute as it took place, piecing together the scene to ensure she hadn't missed anything. But where on earth could Rori have gone? 

Rinoa replayed the scene in her mind once more…

"_Rori's gone!" Rinoa panicked, eyes glued to Seifer's, and the blonde stood in one spot trying not to upset her any further. He squeezed the bridge of his nose with a sigh and summoned up the best words that would ease Rinoa's wrecked heart._

"_Rinoa, relax, she's probably playing a quiet game." He said, wincing at his own doubt._

"_I don't think so. I called out to her already and she hasn't answered. You **know** Rori, she **always** answers me!" Rinoa had turned to him, distress present in her voice and eyes. _

_Seifer cleared his throat. Almost whispering he said, "We'll look around one more time."_

"_Don't you understand, I already tried that---forget it!" Rinoa yelled, turning to the front door and opening it wide. She cupped her hands at her mouth and walked to the porch screaming, "RORI! RORI!" _

_Rinoa, feeling horrible about her outburst to Rori earlier, cried for her as the day broke into night. The showers continued to pour, misty and cold on contact, but Rinoa wasn't fazed. Rori was out there somewhere, and she needed to find her. Besides, how far can a three year old get by herself? A storm much worst than the current storm happening in the small town had been evolving inside Rinoa's shell. And the only thing that would replay in her mind were her last words to Rori,_ **"_Rori stop whining and go to your room!"_**

"_Oh my god…Rori, where are you!" Rinoa, almost on the verge of tears, ran out into the open road yelled to her daughter again. "Rori!"_

"_Rinoa! Come on!" The blaring rainstorm drenched his clothes the second he had stepped off the porch. "We'll take the car!"  
_

"_But she's only a little girl, she's not going to run so far away!"_

"_In **this **rain! You'll catch pneumonia faster than we can find Rori, so get in the car **now**!" _

_The woman hung her head low and finally gave in. Without responding to him, Rinoa walked to the passenger's side of the car and got in. _

Since then the two had been driving around town, stopping occasionally to inspect any suspiciousness but never came across anything that stood out. Rinoa cried, although the rainwater hid every sign of her sorrow through its moisture, and Seifer looked on, not wanting to say anything that would cause her to shed more tears. Although worried about Rori, he managed to contain his despair through a stern gaze out of the window. He had joined Rinoa in calling her, but decided to keep his eyes on the road. All the while, he wondered just how far the little girl had run by herself. He hoped he could catch up to Rori before something terrible happened to her.

------

Rori shivered as her body had numbed, freezing from the cold rain that poured down from the heavens above. She looked up from her hiding place, underneath her very own house, fearing that her mother would never return.

Yes, Rori had heard Rinoa's conversation, and she had run out of the house and down the front steps. Weeping, Rori ran down the street through the foggy rain and out of sight. The little girl was heartbroken, hearing her mother say such awful words.

"_Because Rori might not be wanted!"_

Rori was confused, and after being yelled at, anything but an apology from Rinoa would hurt her feelings further. She had run to Selphie and Irvine's home because it was always the place to go whenever Mommy was in trouble. Following her old instructions, Rori was met with disappointment upon discovering the young couple was not there. Rori hadn't known about their sudden departure to downtown Balamb, and the little girl sat on their front steps, drenched by the rain and crying into her lap.

Minutes had passed and still no one was there. Rori screamed for them to open their door but no one answered, and Rori stayed there on their doorsteps, soaked by her own tears. As the sun was completely hidden by the dark clouds, Rori stood to her feet, rubbing her red eyes and sniffling.

She knew even if her mother had said something bad about her, she probably didn't mean it. Rori knew her mother had loved her too much to do that. The little girl just ran because it was the first and only thing to do when encountering that situation. She was frightened and had felt alone if only for a moment… But as Rori ran, she felt as if she were running to someone, not her mother, not Seifer, not even Selphie or Irvine, but Rori felt like she had to find someone.

But for her little body, the pursuit was impossible, and so, Rori decided to run back home. She knew if she had run away, she would need her mother, and her mother would definitely need her; after all, she loved her and no words could get in the way of that.

And Rori ran toward the house, but saw that Seifer's car was gone. The door was closed and the lights were off; like Selphie and Irvine, no one was home. Rori sobbed and wiped her runny nose as she muffled, "Momma…" She whined and ran to the door, turning the knob and finding it locked. As she turned the knob again, a great bolt of lightning struck the grounds, sounding as if it were near her and reverberating throughout the neighborhood. Rori released the knob and ran down the steps of the front porch, and then crawled under the house and behind the steps. Rori rocked back and forth, covering her ears to shield her from the boisterous thunderstorm and lightning flashes. She had stayed that way for a while, almost as long as Rinoa and Seifer were out looking for her.

The first place Rinoa searched was Selphie's home, hoping that Rori would run there just she told her to do before, but Rinoa was disheartened to find Rori had not followed her directions. After searching that house, Seifer drove down the street slowly and any place he could think for a three year old to run.

"I don't know where she could be…" Seifer muttered, gazing out of his window at the side street houses and studying everything that passed his eyes.

Rinoa sighed and bit her bottom lip fiercely, "…I feel terrible. This would never have happened if…" She closed her eyes, "…if I had just told Squall the truth."

"…About that…" Seifer started, braking the car in the middle of the road as he continued, "…What if_ 'Squall'_ doesn't reject Rori…? What will you do? Would we still…?"

"…Seifer, now isn't the time for this…"

He groaned from his throat. "…Yeah…" With a shake of his head, Seifer released his break and continued down the road. Ever since he had seen Squall with Rinoa in their front lawn _reuniting_, he felt his chance with Rinoa slimming. He could see in her eyes that a spark for her husband was still there, but even after spending those few months with her, he believed there to be a spark in his eyes whenever he looked at her. Rinoa was the only woman he could be truly open with, the only woman, the only person that would listen to him speak his mind without having to worry about being hurt or laughed at. She was open and sensitive to him, and she cared for him just as much as he cared for her. He would give up the world for her, and the one thing he cherished most about Rinoa was her lovely daughter, Rori.

Seifer knew from the moment he saw Squall that Rori was his daughter. First were their identical blue eyes, and then their brown hair, and their faces…Rori looked exactly like him. Seifer was angered about the matter, and he wanted to pummel the man's face for leaving Rinoa alone for so many years. He almost growled to himself when thinking back to their encounter, by then, he had wished he had done something other than run.

He glanced at the road once more and saw Rinoa's house coming up the street; he would have to pull over soon. Still, he wanted to tell Rinoa anything that would take that ridiculous twinkle from her eyes. He wanted Rinoa to forget her husband, especially if the man disclaimed Rori. When Rinoa feared Squall would do such thing, his immediate sympathy had turned to anger. He would hate that man forever…

"Seifer!"

"OH SH—" He swerved the car but the two still felt a thump against the car's front. Rinoa immediately jumped out of the car and ran around, and Seifer heard her release a lamenting cry.

"RORI!"

Seifer hadn't moved, he was frozen behind the steering wheel. The sounds of the rain and Rinoa's crying had sent him to another level of reality. With every second that passed, he could feel Rori's little body being hit, struck by the face of his own car; the scene was set to replay in his mind over and over again.

"Seifer!" Rinoa yelled, slamming the passenger door shut tightly. "Seifer, drive to the hospital!"

He could hear every word she had said, but found himself unable to move. Seifer was in a daze until Rinoa patted his face, a desperate attempt to bring him back into reality.

"Seifer, she's going to die! Please drive!" Rinoa yelled, cupping Rori in her arms and kissing her forehead. Rori's face was bloody, and Seifer could not bring himself to look at her, as her body lay motionless.

Finally he shook himself from the daze and pulled out of house's drive. He had focused himself enough to drive the long road to the hospital in Downtown since there were no local infirmaries in Balamb. Seifer glanced over at Rinoa and Rori, and had hated himself for doing so, for if something would happen to Rori…he would hate _himself_ forever.

* * *

After ringing her phone every half an hour, Squall had finally given up and laid down in his bed. He was worried about Rinoa, she would be inside before nine o'clock so it seemed, but maybe she went out with someone, anyone but that 'boyfriend' of hers he hoped. He shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes as he prepared for sleep; however, he felt a strain tugging at his soul. No matter how many times he tossed and turned, Squall could feel something preventing him from sleeping. 

Sighing, he sat up and turned the lamplight on that set beside his bed. He leaned his back against the backboard and groaned aloud. There were too many things on his mind for sleep, for one, Rinoa wasn't answering her phone and it was going passed midnight. He rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes, finally feeling a sleepy yawn overcome his stressing.

Just as he reached for the lamplight again, the phone began to ring. Without hesitation, Squall reached for the phone instead and picked up, bringing it to his face with haste. He breathed out, "Hello?"

He could hear someone sniffling at the end, breathing into the phone as well, and then he heard a muffled, "Squall."

"Rinoa! Rinoa, is that you?"

"Yeah…" She sniffled.

"What's wrong?" He asked, immediately the sleepiness had shook off of him. She sounded to be in danger. His heart pounded in his chest, "Rinoa!"

"Squall…I need you…"

"Where are you!"

"…At the hospital."

"What! Why, what happened!"

He heard someone speaking beside her, but couldn't make out what that person might have been saying. Instead, Rinoa returned with a sigh; a sigh of relief or distress, it was indistinguishable, but she spoke into the phone, "I can't…I…Squall, please…just get here. I'll tell you. I promise."

Squall swallowed his breath and muttered, "…Okay." He could hear the phone lines terminating with a click, and he eased his phonedown on the hook as well.

His room was silent for a minute until he questioned himself aloud, "…The hospital?"

Why on earth would Rinoa be in the hospital?

Squall threw the covers from his body and stood, pacing to find clothing that just lie around the room and threw them on, not caring what piece went with what. Rinoa was in danger, and nothing else mattered to him more. He needed to get out of the hotel and down to the hospital, but then…he remembered the hospital was so far away and he didn't have a car. Where would he get a car from in the middle of the night?

----

"Zell! I _have _to borrow that car!" Squall yelled into the phone.

"_Ouch! Squall, what the hell, it's like **one** in the morning! What the hell are you **shouting** about in my ear! Geez!" _

"I'm really sorry, but I need to get that car from you. Rinoa's in the hospital and I have no other way to get there!"

"_What? The hospital?"_

"Yeah! Zell, please!—"

"_Of course, Squall! I've got the keys here at my place. I'll meet ya down at the shop." _

"Thank you!" Squall said, hanging up the phone in a hurry. He grabbed his room keys from the dresser and ran out of the room, locking it behind himself before running down the hallway and reaching the stairs.

The run to Zell's shop had felt like a daydream, maybe happening or maybe just a dream, and before he knew it, the dream was over. He came to a stop when he reached the shop, breathing heavenly and placing his hands on his back to allow himself air.

"Here Squall." Zell called out, tossing a key to Squall as he turned around to meet his voice. Squall caught the key. "What happened? Is she alright?"

"…I don't know…" Squall said, disoriented and wanting only to get into the car and down to the hospital. Zell understood that his friend was not thinking clearly and decided to leave it at that. He opened the garage door with another set of keys and watched as the door peeled up and displayed the black Convertible parked inside.

"…Don't let me keep you. Go ahead!" Zell said, fanning Squall to the garage door, and Squall nodded in return.

Before he knew it, Squall had driven the car manically up the road and out of town, disappearing into the darkness. Zell only wondered if tonight would be the one for Squall; would it be the night he meets his own little girl…

----

Almost ten minutes later, Squall pulled into Balamb Medical Center's parking lot, parking the car any which way he could, it didn't matter because he would fix it later; Rinoa needed him now.

Squall walked through the sliding doors and entered the front lobby of the hospital. He paced himself to the front desk and looked over the counter, seeing a nurse in all white reading a list and checking off names. He hated hospitals, he always had, despite the fact that their only existence was to help and treat people, but then the place never seemed welcoming. It's white walls, small rooms, weird smells, and people…busy people, people who were always at their toes, but where in the world were they whenever someone really needed them?

He cleared his throat and spoke, "Excuse me?"

The nurse hadn't looked up, she rolled the pen over a name and murmured, "Yes?"

"Umm…Where can I find Rinoa Leonhart's room?"

"…Leonhart." The nurse whispered, never looking up at him. "Oh! Here we are…Rori Leonhart… I'm sorry sir, there are no visitations at this time, not unless you're family."

"Say again?"

She finally looked up from her papers and stated, "There are no—"

"No, I understood that…but…whose name…"

"Rori Leonhart…" And as the woman spoke, Squall's heart froze. His eyes averted from the nurse's and stared away at some unknown figure. "Sir, you'll have to take a seat in the waiting room."

He whispered to himself, "…Rori Leonhart…"

"Like I said, no one but family at this time. Sir could you please-"

"Excuse me, miss." Squall heard Rinoa's voice from his side and he turned to face her as she continued to speak, "…He's her father." Rinoa said, facing him with eyes that pierced his soul.

**_

* * *

_**

**_Once Upon an Author's Blues…_**

* * *

_**Aye, a crazy one from yours truly, so my apologies. I'm terribly sorry for the long wait, but things have been coming my way again. (Stress…heartache…) Anyway, I managed to get through this chapter. **_

_**It's depressing right…? Ah well, sue me… lol**_

_**Thanks to: (hey, some new faces, kool!) **_

_**AnimeFanaticDudette: Thank you very much! I tend to spend a lot of time on these chapters and sometimes wonder if their any good, but I'm really glad they don't suck, lol. Thanks!**_

_**Amy: Thanks, I'm glad to see you're sticking with me through this mess, eh. I hope this update didn't keep you waiting too long.**_

_**Ittan-Momen: Whenever you get back from your holiday…please don't kill me! I know…Rori is too cute for this to happen…I know! Don't make me scrub floors with your brother, No! Please, Anything but that! Think of Squall in motor oil, anything that will brighten your day, think about him! Just don't make me scrub! –eyes water- I'll email when I've finished this story. (If I do any writing outside of my story, then my mood is spoiled and I am no longer motivated to write, lol, that sucks!) And I'm really glad that you like Eternal Breath, I'm still working on that one…I had hoped to have another chapter up by this time, but this story is getting in the way, lol. (no I don't hate it, it's just not one of my favs) Change the subject---points to Squall in a bunny suit--- There he is, Stop him! Lol**_

_**CJ: I am and I will! (Writing more and continuing:P) Thanks for the review!**_

_**Pezjunkie13: lol I agree with you, Seifer should've lost his temper…but then we have to remember that he doesn't want to lose her…and also, I've been hard on Seifer too many times now, (although I love a bossy Seifer, nothing beats that) I just had to tone him down a notch. He wasn't saying anything, but he was thinking it, I swear! Lol Thank you!**_

_**Ittan-Momen- What the…hey! Two Times! Lol okay, okay, I'll see you in a week! And not to worry, I hope to have updated twice by the time you get back. –Squall hops by- There he is again! Charge! (Thanks for the second review! Yay!) **_

_**Silver-nex: haha! I tricked you! I'm not that predictable! lol Yeah, its like a soap-opera with on going drama, except, I hope to end it soon. (Unlike the TV soaps, geez…one minute a character is 'good' the next they're plotting on that woman's husband. Aye, a headache indeed!) lol But they're loveable, and I'm glad you're still with me! Thanks so much! **_

**_Do you love it, hate it, dig it, play it? Tell me! –smirks- C'mon, you guys should know I'm a little on the goofy side…anyways, please tell me, and thanks again everyone._**

_**(Yeah, I hope to update soon, but…I have to get packed!) …Sadly. So there are no promises, okay? And also, that last chapter was so short, lol. I don't know what I was thinking...**_

_**StardustRay**_


	9. Pleasant Yet Unnerving

**_-Note- This will be the last update for a while, might be two months or so until I can update again. I hope you enjoy this…weird chapter, hehe. Thanks!-_**

* * *

_**Chapter 9: Meeting Her: Pleasant Yet Unnerving**_

* * *

"He's her father." Rinoa said, facing him with eyes that pierced his soul. She knew he would hate her, but she also knew this man like the back of her own hand. He wouldn't turn away now, would he? Rinoa gulped, swallowing hard, hoping that her faith would pull through and Squall would take her hand in this long journey. 

Squall felt himself lost in her eyes, and he stared until _his_ began to sting and weld with tears from resisting the urge of blinking again. He couldn't believe his ears… What did she mean, _Rori Leonhart_? He had become suspicious about _Rori, _but never had he come up with anything like this. It was beyond his wildest nightmares. Rinoa had done well to keep this information away from him, and for the first time in his life, he felt a sense of hate and discrimination on Rinoa's behalf. She never allowed him to know…

"Your name sir?" The nurse asked, waiting for Squall to state his legal name. "…May I have your name?"

He snapped himself back into reality, and answered the question huskily, "Squall Leonhart."

"Thank you. …She'll show you the way." The nurse said, nodding to Rinoa. Rinoa displayed a phony smile and held out her hand to him, which he stared down at with eyes that burned at the sight of her. How could she act so innocent; hadn't she just announced that he was a _father_?

Instead of waiting for his response or some indication that he had accepted Rori, Rinoa grabbed his hand, leading him behind the double doors and down to the ER, the emergency room. The walk itself took ages, all the doors and lights paved about the ceiling gave Squall a thickening headache; everything had happened so fast.

Rinoa was glad to see he hadn't made a fuss so far, but before they could reach the door, Squall stopped dead in his tracks and jerked his hand away from hers like a resistant child. "Rinoa…what… What the _hell_ is going on?"

Rinoa hadn't answered, she bit her bottom lip and stared at the floor, her face turning beet red with fear and sorrow. Somehow she knew he wouldn't comply. She knew he would abandon her as soon as he learned of Rori, and he would leave her in that hospital until the days turned into years, never to speak her again. But despite her deepest fears, Rinoa needed to defend herself.

Before she could form the appropriate words, tears began to escape her eyes. She looked at him and sighed, "…I didn't know what to say to you. I…tried to tell you…but…" She was heartbroken when Squall did nothing but stare at her with smoldering eyes. He stood there, face scrunched with anger and redness; he was upset because she was continuing to hurt him with her lack of a reasonable answer. "Squall…"

"When…?" He had asked softly, trying not to release his inner anger.

"…I'm sorry?"

"When did you…?" He asked, focusing on her eyes, trying to find some sort of connection that would allow him to understand the truth. She would stop the charade and tell him it was a joke, right?

But Rinoa quickly shot down all hope he might have built up with her response. "…Right after you left…that's when I found out I was pregnant…" She whispered, and he immediately turned away from her, moving a hand to his forehead and placing the other on his hip.

"…Why didn't I know…?" Squall almost cried out. "Dammit…Rinoa."

She touched his arm and whispered, "…Would you like to see her?"

Squall faced her quickly, glaring at her, "…It's not like I have a choice."

She flinched, "…Squall?" He paced down the hallway in a mad fit, leaving Rinoa behind to watch him bear the terrible weight of a burden she carried for four years. "Squall wait! I didn't mean it like that!" She said, trotting behind him and grabbing onto his shoulder, stopping him from going any further. "I had no idea you wouldn't return that night, so how can you blame me for not telling you sooner?"

"But you _knew_! Even after I came back, you _knew_ about this! You were going to divorce me without saying a word! Hell, how do I know if the kid's mine _anyway_, I wasn't even there!" He stared at her accusingly, as if to say she had had an affair, after all, she had become _lonely_ after his departure.

"How dare you! I may have been alone for all that time, but it would never drive me to sleep with someone outside of our marriage. Even though I was curious about what you did during your time away, I never came to that conclusion, not once! …And I was forced to stare into her eyes for four years Squall! I had to raise her _alone_! I had to lie to _her_ about _you_!"

"I already told you before that I would never do that to you! Rinoa, you lied to _me_ when you kept this away! What-is she dying! Is that the only reason you're telling me that we have daughter _now_! …And if she _died_, would I _ever_ have known about her!"

"I didn't know how or what to tell you! I thought you would take off and leave again, Squall! Sometimes it's like you go into your own little world and you don't tell me _anything_! How was I supposed to know what to say to you! …Rori is a sweet little girl, and I didn't want her to meet you because …I didn't know what to _expect_ from you! You think you're the only one in pain! …I _thought she would_ _die_ today, and the first thing on my mind was _you_! I knew I was wrong, but I did it to protect her… I didn't want you to hurt her like you've hurt me before…"

"…But you didn't give me a _chance!_ You're about ready to take off with that other guy!"

Already fed up with Squall for possibly believing their child wasn't _theirs_, Rinoa clenched her fists at her sides and gathered her breath. "Will you shut up and look at her?" Rinoa yelled, pointing to the door of Rori's room. They were standing right outside of her door, arguing about past angers that were trapped within their hearts for all that time, and Squall hadn't even noticed. His eyes followed her finger to the window of the ER door, and there he saw a tiny figure lying across the bed. He immediately abandoned his rage at the sight of the girl.

On the bed that was positioned horizontally from the entrance, he saw the petite body of Rori, and with every breath taken, her little chest moved up and down making Squall's heart skip a beat. Slender and fragile fingers curled with the covers, clinging tightly for the support and warmth its softness provided, and brown strands of hair, no darker or lighter than his own, covered her eyes, flowing from her head to the pillow it rested upon and reaching past her shoulders. Squall's tensed face had gradually eased as he stared at her pale frame, glued to the heavenly body that rested just a door away from him. He pressed his hand to the cold glass of the window where her body lay in his sight, wishing he were touching _her_ instead. Trembling tears danced at his eyes as he swallowed his breath and continued to stare, unsure if it were okay to release his cry. And at that moment, Squall _knew _without a doubt he had fallen in love with her…with _his _daughter…

"…Rori…" He whispered underneath his breath, recognizing the child to be the same little girl that had cried for her playing card behind the gate. A smile sprayed across his lips, but soon returned the frown. To hide his mixed reactions, Squall covered his mouth with a hand, but never withdrew his gaze away from her tiny body.

Rinoa watched as a tear finally rolled from his eye, trailing down his face and coating his fingers that rested on his cheek, unbothered by the sudden warm fluid. She had never seen Squall so at ease, so pleased and happy in his life before, but at the same time, he looked _miserable_. She tugged on his arm and muttered to him softly, "You can go inside if you want…she's only sleeping."

He faced her slowly and swallowed his breath hard, unable to understand his own emotions. Was he happy, sad, joyful or resentful? He paused at the door's entrance, looking to Rinoa for reassurance that this was reality, and after receiving a nod of approval by Rinoa, Squall reached for the door and gave the handle a turn. Rinoa would follow him, but someone else pulled her back. She found that Quistis was there with them in the hospital, just walking in on their disputes, returning the plea for help by Rinoa. After calling Quistis and getting some advice about what should happen next, the young woman found that this would be the best opportunity to tell Squall about his daughter. But judging by their previous conversation, Rinoa thought this to be the worst decision she had ever made in her life.

Quistis whispered to Rinoa, "Let him go…alone." And Rinoa could only sigh, looking back to Squall as he neared the bed slowly before Quistis pulled her away. She knew the woman was right…Squall needed time with the child for himself…

He stopped at the foot of Rori's bed, looking down at the little girl's fragile body. Although she was just a child, Squall found himself too nervous to approach her.

When she let out a soft murmur, he smiled, wanting to say she was _cute_; a word that was scarcely in his vocabulary. Squall placed his hand on hers and squeezed, then moved it to her angelic face to brush her gentle and chubby cheeks with the back of his hand. Rori's face was cold, but had quickly warmed just by his touch. He pushed aside the brown strands that fell across her eyes and moved them behind her ears. Everything about her was so small and gentle, and so he touched her with soft hands, not wanting to disturb her rest. He winced at the sight of the bandages placed over her left temple, the side of her face she rested on. It was then that he wondered what happened to her, and why she had wound up in the hospital anyway?

Disregarding those curious thoughts of his, Squall leaned down and planted a kiss on her cheek. He released a soft sigh; unable to believe this was _his_ work, he had helped to create such an angel. He took her hand from its grip on the cover and held it with his own, bringing her palm to meet his lips and kissing her soft skin lovingly. But when an uncontrollable urge to cry overtook his being, Squall closed his eyes and shut out a stream of heated tears whilst a silent whimper joined them.

* * *

Rinoa was seated in the lobby, holding a hot cup of coffee in her hands that rested in her lap. Quistis watched the woman's legs shaking since the two had taken their seats, and finally decided to try and console her by placing a hand on Rinoa's knee. Rinoa immediately stopped fidgeting and looked up at Quistis with a warm smile, "…I'm sorry. I…just can't believe this is happening, and I don't know what to do…" 

"Whatever happens, happens, there's nothing you _can_ do. Knowing you've done all you could should be enough, don't you think?"

"…Somehow that doesn't sound completely right to me, Quistis. Rori almost went into a coma; thank god she's only sleeping…and Squall, he's inside with her right now." Her eyes fell to the floor, "…I don't know what to think… I feel helpless."

"But you're not. You've helped yourself enough. Think of this as a cool down. Everything you've done so far was done for a reason, and you kept her away until you felt he was ready to know."

"I wasn't ready for him to know just yet…" Rinoa said, remembering that it was Quistis' suggestion about her calling Squall for his support, since Seifer had left her alone with Rori in the hospital soon after arriving there. "I was going to tell him, but this is…this is all _too much_." Rinoa placed the coffee onto the small table before them, fearing she would drop the coffee onto her legs and scald them, and faced Quistis completely. "…Just before I brought him to Rori's room, we had an argument… He said some things that made me feel terrible… Like…if Rori had died tonight…I probably wouldn't have told him at all. …And I can't help but feel like he was right…"

"Rinoa, stop saying those things, you know that isn't true."

"…I appreciate your help, I really do, but—"

"Here he comes." Quistis muttered, looking past Rinoa and watching Squall emerging from the double doors. She saw that his eyes were on the floor, staring at the ground intently as if forgetting something behind.

Rinoa turned her head back to get a good look at him also, and immediately noticed he had probably cried again. She rose from her seat to meet him, stopping him in the midst of his walk.

Squall continued to stare at the white tiled floor, purposely avoiding her eyes. He took back the words he had spat to her before, about her having a baby for another man while he was away; he hated himself for saying those hateful words. Squall finally sighed and muttered under his breath, "…They're getting ready to move her into another room until she's better. Said to wait out here for a while…"

Rinoa nodded, "…Okay."

"Rinoa…" He said, his eyes finally rising from the floor. "…Can we talk outside for a moment?"

"…Sure." Rinoa answered, staring into his pools of sorrow.

-------

After briefly confirming her departure with Quistis, Rinoa joined Squall out at the entrance of the medical center. Rinoa noticed the air was moderate and calm after enduring the heavy storm from the day. The natural air had always felt better than any air conditioning system, at least, one that wouldn't freeze her to death. She stared out into the parking lot with Squall by her side who was doing just the same.

A longer moment of silence passed between she and Squall, but their silence was understood. Both had complaints and wrongs about their dilemma, but neither knew how to phrase them. So they would sit until life would ask for their return, or until either one would take the boldest step and speak first.

Squall decided to take that step and cleared his throat. Speaking about the first item of interest on his mind, the most important. "…How old is she, three?"

"Yeah…" Rinoa answered slowly.

"…She's…"

"Unbelievable…"

"Yeah." He said, scratching the back of his head while focusing his eyes to the ground once again, taking note of all the cigarettes that lay on its surface; another thing he hated about hospitals: As much as doctors warn people about smoking, they seemed to do the most of it. He merely laughed from this thought, but quickly shushed himself and nervously cleared his throat again.

"…She told me about what you did for her, about the card…you know…that was really sweet."

"…Just lending a helping hand…it wasn't a big deal."

"To _her_ it was…" Rinoa smiled, finally facing him. "She'll know who you are just as soon as she wakes up." Rinoa roared with confidence, and Squall somehow felt lost. Sure, Rori would know him by face but…what would happen if she found out he were her father. It was wrong to stay around, wrong to intrude between Rinoa and Rori.

Unable to keep his emotions contained, Squall heaved a loud sigh and met Rinoa's eyes. "…She'll find it odd…won't she? About me being her…_dad_. She'd hate the sight of me, so I probably shouldn't…" Rinoa's eyes had widened, realizing the direction of his words. "…I shouldn't be here."

"…Squall, what are you saying? You have to be here… You _belong_ here."

"No…" Squall shook his head. "…This isn't right. How in the hell can I be her father when I haven't been there for her…? She won't even know who I am…and…and I'll be a stranger…forever. …I mean, it would be great if I got to know her, but isn't it too late? I wouldn't blame her if she hated me." He said, his eyes grazing the ground once again.

Rinoa grabbed his hands and entwined their fingers, "Rori's not like that. I know we'll have a lot to explain to her, but she'd never _resent_ you."

She smiled when Squall looked into her eyes and gave her hands a squeeze as he said, "And I could never regret having brought her into the world, no less having you to do most of the hard labor…" He released her hands to take a step behind her, and slid his fingers down her arms, reaching and grabbing them once again. Squall whispered into her ear, "I feel terrible about not being there…and it just goes to show how much you _can_ accomplish without me being around. I'm intimidated… Honestly… you've done so much on your own--"

"And that doesn't mean I don't need you…" Rinoa murmured, moving back into his embrace.

"Funny…once upon a time you _didn't_ need me."

Rinoa found herself laughing softly at his words, knowing they were true. She could remember saying it to him, caught up in the heat of their argument, screaming the words she never dared to speak to him before. She brought their joined hands to her stomach, smiling because she had lost herself in this moment as well, as she whispered, "…I lied."

Squall smiled, brushing his face against her ear, taking in the sweet smell of her hair. As he tightened his arms around her body, Squall moved his mouth to her neck and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder. "…Thank you for giving me another chance Rinoa. I promise I won't let you down." He said, resting his forehead in her hair. Rinoa could feel the heaviness of his breath against the back of her neck, and closed her eyes, savoring each second of their closeness.

Suddenly, Quistis' voice came from behind them, "I'm sorry…" She said, smiling nervously as Rinoa peered around Squall to see her. He had looked back also, never releasing Rinoa from his hold. And Quistis decided to continue with her message, "Um, they've taken her to the second floor…and she's just about ready to wake up any minute now Rinoa."

"Rori." Rinoa said, breaking out of Squall's embrace, but grabbing his hand and following Quistis into the hospital once again.

Upon entering, the three adults boarded an elevator to the left of the front desk, opposite of the double doors. Squall felt butterflies in his stomach when learning Rori was to awaken soon. He had stared into space before Rinoa squeezed his hand to gain his attention, "Squall, we've stopped."

"Oh…" He took a deep breath and took a step forward as the doors of the elevator opened. But before they could walk toward the room where Rori was being held, he stopped, almost like had before earlier that night. "…Rinoa…what happened to her? Why is she here?"

"…She was…hit by a car." Rinoa said, fearing that if he knew just who had hit Rori, he would lose his mind in a second. She bit her lower lip, "…Squall, we have a lot to talk about, I know. But please…just meet Rori…for me."

Squall swallowed hard, "…Hit by a…car?" He was amazed. The girl's injuries weren't severe, but they weren't minimal either. It was amazing to see she hadn't worn any casts or such, and with one bandage over her face only had made him wonder how fast the car had traveled.

"…Yeah."

He sighed, "Never mind," And the two continued with Quistis who waited in front of Rori's room. Squall hadn't really remembered just how he knewQuistis. He also wondered just why he was starting to see more of her tonight.

They approached the room, disheartened by the lack of a window on its doorframe. Squall wanted to peak at her before going head in, but he was quickly pulled inside by Rinoa who opened the door without any hesitation. She had held his hand the entire way there as if saying she would never leave his side and she'd always be there with him.

To their surprise, Rori had still been sleeping, tucked inside her bed with a bushy comforter instead of the thin sheets she had before. Rinoa smiled, releasing Squall's hand and walking near Rori's bed. "…Well, as long as she's resting, I guess it's okay…"

He watched her kiss Rori's forehead and pull the covers over her body to ensure the girl could be warm enough in the cool hospital room. Rinoa was a great mother to Rori, he could tell. Her love for the girl sprouted throughout the room. He realized Rinoa didn't have to have Rori, she could've gotten an abortion, but she went through and gave birth. She could have given the girl up for adoption, but she held on to her. Rinoa could have kept her away from him forever, but she allowed him this chance to meet her. And there was no way he would throw away an honor like that. Instead of joining her, he took a seat and watched her, speechlessly, as she mothered her, no, _their_ child.

* * *

Not long after, Quistis had left the two of them alone with their sleeping daughter after Rinoa forced her home. It had already been in the early hours of morning, and after two more passed by, the sun still hadn't risen. 

Squall sat wide awake, unable to sleep because of the events from the night, in large maroon chair holding Rinoa at his side, snuggled beside him to ward off the cold air flowing in through the central air cooling system. He glanced at her face, nestled on his chest, and smiled. It was then that he noticed Rori stirring in her sleep, and sounding as if she were waking up.

Rori muttered, "…Mommy?" Her voice had frozen Squall; nevertheless, he eased himself from Rinoa's embrace and sauntered toward the bed. "…Mommy, is that you?" She said, opening her eyes slightly.

"…No sweetheart." Squall whispered, surprised at his own answer. It flowed so naturally from his mouth, almost as if he had been around to call her _sweetheart_ since she was a baby.

He reached for the lamp on the dresser beside her bed and pulled it down, glad to see it emitted dim lighting in their room. When he looked down at Rori's face, her eyes met his. Once again, Squall found himself staring into a mirror; never had he seen a pair of eyes to reflect his own so perfectly and flawlessly.

Rori was startled; she hadn't expected to find a man in her room, especially _this_ man. "It's you…" She said, having little energy to rejoice about her own hero.

Understanding exactly why she would remember him, Squall nodded as he answered, "Yes…"

Rori smiled, but stopped immediately when she saw his eyes welding with tears. She whispered, "Are you crying?"

Squall slowly nodded again, this time without answering her with words.

"…Why?"

He took a deep breath and exhaled. And whispered back to her, "…Because we were worried about you."

"…Is my mommy here?"

"…Yeah." Squall said, moving aside so she could see Rinoa's sleeping figure on the chair. "…She's sleeping right now."

"Oh…have to stay quiet."

Squall smiled, "That's right."

Rori began to giggle, but it quickly turned into a yawn.

"Still sleepy?" He asked, leaning on his elbows as he placed them on the bed beside Rori. He rested his head on his palm and smirked to Rori as she yawned again, covering her mouth with a tiny hand. She nodded her head and tried to sit up, but Squall eased her back down, "Go back to sleep, you'll need plenty of rest."

Rori resisted. She moved her hand to his face slowly, and touched his forehead, tracing her fingers over his nose and mouth. She moved both hands to his cheeks and smiled while whispering, "You have blue eyes like me."

He smiled again, mesmerized by Rori's beautiful soul. Hadn't she any idea she was staring into the eyes of her own father? Squall gently touched her hands as they rested on his face and pulled them to his mouth, kissing them softly before easing them down onto the bed. "…Your mom needs you to rest, okay?" He winced at the disappointed expression she gave as he ended their brief proximity.

Somehow, Rori knew there was something different about this man. He was unlike Seifer and Irvine, who had merely played with her like older brothers would their younger sister. Somehow, she sensed something more of him.

Squall ignored her little eyes as they studied him while he reached for the lamp switch once more, turning off the light. He was surprised to hear her voice again, murmuring, "I'm Rori. What's your name?"

"Squall."

"Squall? …I like it, it's a pretty name."

He smirked, "Thank you." Glad to have his name reviewed by a three year old, Squall laughed to himself and rose from her side. "Rori try to sleep, okay?"

He saw her nodding, "Okay." But before Squall could turn away, she reached for his arm and whispered, "Will you be here when I wake up?"

Squall froze, unable to think of an answer to her question. He should have known the answer, it should've been clear and easy to speak aloud, but Squall somewhat struggled to give the girl a proper answer. "…You just focus on getting well for your mother, and I'll be back as soon as I can."

"…Squall?" Her little voice echoed throughout the room, shifting Rinoa's well-deserved sleep.

"Yes Rori?"

"…Are you my daddy?"

Squall took a deep breath, completely unexpected the question.

"Squall?"

He walked closer to her darkened figure and helped her to lie back on her pillow. He smiled, moving the loose strands of hair behind her ears and leaning in to kiss her cheek tenderly. Squall muttered, "Go to sleep Rori."

And before the girl could understand his answer, he was out of the door.

Rinoa sat perfectly still, watching him exit their room. She couldn't believe it…Squall hadn't stayed true to his word… She only wondered if he would return soon, as he told Rori moments before, but then Rinoa realized this was the same man who had performed the same _disappearing act_ with her just four years ago… She feared that this time might be his _encore_.

* * *

_**Once Upon an Author's Departure**_

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_**So... I'm terribly sorry, but College calls. (Oh how I dread thee) I had hoped to finish this story and update Eternal Breath as well, but fell behind schedule. I'm just glad I got to update this one, though. **_

_**Umm, please don't hate me for writing this chapter…it just kinda, happened. lol. I know it's weird, so flame me. :P**_

_**Here's the Thanks List: (Woo! You guys are crazy, lol) **_

_**Goldie: Thank you, I'm glad you like this one. (I was unsure about writing this story from the beginning, but it's grown on me. I know how you feel about Rinoa and Squall with a kid(s)…it's a little wrong, I know! lol. ) Thanks for reviewing, and take care!**_

_**Amy: Thanks Amy, I hope to keep up the good work, especially because I'm taking a long break now…: ( Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope to hear from you soon!**_

_**Pesjunkie: lol, You hid in a dryer? I sure hope no one turned it on! Hehe, so you noticed that I have an infatuation with strange cliffhangers, eh? haha, I hope this one isn't too bad though. Thank you!**_

_**AnimeFanaticDudette: LoL, I really hope I've satisfied your need for more, but I'm terribly sorry if this cliffhanger is even worse. –cries- don't hate me!**_

_**RinLeonhart: Haha, yeah, I've been moving right along. Working and writing as usual, but I'm glad to see you're still there! Yay! Lol. Thanks again, the reviews really push me forward! **_

_**Blue: Yes master, I shall correct thee when I'm through! lol! Not to worry about little Rori, she has a strong heart! She's Squall's daughter after all, hehe. The sun will keep on shining! Yeah, yeah, there were typos, but can you blame me, I was almost in a rush. (Plus, I got lazy and didn't read over everything again…-sighs- I know, it's terrible!) Anyways, I've gotta take on the real world for a few months and I'll be back, no worries! **_

_**And to everyone else who reads, I thank you. (Ittan-Momen, I shall email you when I'm away at school!—and I really hope you've enjoyed these chapters. Exactly as I promised, I've written two! So, hah! lol) –Squall jumps around in a bunny suit—hehehehe!**_

_**No worries, I'll be back to finish it. And I may even have spare time between classes to squeeze out another chapter, so that might be a bonus. **_

_**Regardless, this story will be finished by the end of this year, so add it to your alerts list or something…who knows…And uh…why not tell me what you thought of this chapter while you're at it. (At what, I haven't a clue…) lol **_

_**(To those who are reading Eternal Breath, I'll give you more information about the story in my bio. I'll update my bio soon, and thanks for those wonderful reviews, I'm so happy! lol) **_

_**Thanks again, and see you soon.**_

_**-StardustRay-**_


	10. The War of the Roses

_Wow…I…actually did it. I sat down and wrote something. But guys, I'm a little rusty, so I do apologize if this chapter seems a little off…Can you really blame me though? Anyway, please bear with me, as it was hard enough to take off from that last chapter. _

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**Disclaimer:** **_reads from a card in her palm …I do not…own…Squaresoft, or any of its affiliates…but don't we all wish so, except for me…I don't know what what've happened had I gotten a hold of Square-enix. Just like Advent Children, there would be a movie for FF8 coming out as well. …Geez, I guess I do know---_**

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_**Chapter 10: The War of the Roses**_

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Early the next morning, Rinoa hadn't mentioned anything about Squall to her daughter. She knew the girl had had a _heartfelt_ conversation with her infamous father, all to which the girl had no idea of him actually being so; somehow Rinoa knew Rori's brilliant mind had probably pieced together the possibilities of Squall being her paternal parent. Because she hadn't questioned, Rinoa pretended to pay the matter no mind at all. 

"Will I have a scar?" Asked a peculiar little Rori, curiously rubbing her fingers across the white bandages on her forehead.

Rinoa smirked and moved the girl's hand away as she spoke in her protective motherly tone, "Keep touching it and you _will_…"

With a loud, kiddy laugh, Rori drew her hand back and covered her mouth, "Sorry!"

"It's alright, sweetie, I'm just glad your bruise isn't that serious."

"Don't call it a _bru-ise_…call it a Bo-Bo!" Rori demanded.

Rinoa raised an eyebrow. "Bo-Bo?" She questioned Rori's enthusiastic _literary vocabulary_.

"Yeah, that's what Sefie calls them!"

The young woman folded her arms and smiled, unable to compete with Selphie's thesaurus for kids. "Okay, I'm just glad your _Bo-Bo_ isn't that serious!" Rinoa said with a laugh, and Rori slapped her forehead, finding it awkward to hear her mother say such a foreign word for the first time.

The laughter of the mother and daughter was interrupted when the door to the hospital room opened. Both females faced the void when Seifer stepped inside with a smile, making a sudden intrusion with a voice that broke the stillness in the air, "Rori!" He said, surprised to see the little girl up and smiling as opposed to her possible sleepiness and irritability. Seifer sighed in relief, entering the room with a pink stuffed animal.

"Seifa!" She yelled, pointing at the stuffed rabbit first and _then_ to him. He expected this; such was the typical reaction of a kid to _any_ toy, suddenly the person who bought the toy became non-existent. Yet he brought it over to the eager little girl anyway, despite her desperate reaching for its soft furs.

Rinoa watched him walking toward them with a smile that faintly displayed his dimpled cheeks, the smile she favored the most.

"Guess what I have for you?" He asked Rori, knowing full well she had already seen the toy behind his back.

Finally Rori sat back and squealed, "A pink bunny!" She had to grip the linen of her comforters to resist the urge of tackling the cuddly animal from his hands.

"Ah…you're too good for me…" He faked a frown and handed Rori the rabbit, a well pleased sight indeed. She squeezed the little stuffed animal in her arms and kissed its forehead, muffling that it was the cutest thing she ever seen before.

Rinoa was glad to see the child back to normal even _with_ the bruises from Seifer's car. She admired Rori's strong spirit, something even _she_ had lacked greatly as a child. Even through the roughest times, Rori would always find a means to smile. The courageousness of her little heart continued to astound Rinoa, such as the events that occurred throughout that evening; the girl had run away, but then the accident happened in the driveway of their home. Rinoa realized Rori had most likely returned home, through the dangerous storm, to make amends with her. She had smiled gracefully at her daughter.

"Thank you!" Rori exclaimed, hugging the bunny profoundly. Seifer returned her gesture with a nod, "You're welcome, Rori, but…let the poor guy breathe." He said, pointing at how its neck seemed to be squashed between the firm grip of Rori's inner arms.

"No, it's a _girl_!" She protested.

"_Oh_, _sorry_…" He said, scratching the back of his head and then turning to Rinoa who had been staring at Rori all the while. Seifer heaved a sigh and touched Rinoa's arm, as he whispered to her, "…I need to ask you something."

Rinoa, broken from her stare, faced him hastily, "…Seifer…can all that wait for a little while? I don't want to think about _any_ of this mess, is that okay?"

"…Please, this will only take a second. I promise I won't ever bring it up anymore…" He continued with the whisper, eyes growing as soft as his voice, yet the eagerness of his heart ran through his veins. When she stared into his eyes, she knew he deserved to know about Squall and she, _no doubt_ in her mind that his question _would_ concern Squall in someway.

Finally, Rinoa sighed and led him to the window of Rori's room, giving the girl a little time to sing a song to her new friend whilst they involved themselves in adult concerns. Rinoa unfolded her arms and looked out of the window, staring down at the trees aligned in rows on the hospital's parking lot. Seifer joined her at the window, though his eyes had studied her very essence as a woman. He then focused his attention elsewhere, wanting to keep his intentions directly on the basis of her past. "…So…" He started calmly. "…Does he know?"

'Does _he _know?' Rinoa had immediately released a mollifying sigh, a release of breath that soothed the thought of her having finally told Squall about Rori, and a faint smile took its toll on her lips. She answered simply, "…Yeah."

"…How did he take it? And where is he right now?" Seifer purposely avoided Squall's name, even not really knowing him personally, he had held a natural grudge against the man. There was no way _his_ name would ever come from Seifer's mouth.

"…He's not here now, obviously." She said, slowly facing the blonde.

"…Getting a cup of coffee or something?"

"No…"

"…Then _where_ is he?"

Rinoa heaved a heavy sigh this time, becoming frustrated with Seifer's questioning. She lowered her voice to avoid shouting into the young man's ears, "…Let's talk out there." She had glanced over to Rori on the bed, who was deeply involved in a story where her new bunny friend was its main character. Rinoa smiled warmly watching her daughter clueless to the harsh reality unfolding at the base of her very existence. She suddenly wished the reality could be has calm and gentle as the song Rori had whispered under her breath when making the bunny hop across the snow mound of covers that lay across her bed.

Seifer had licked his lips, knowing that their conversation would have to make its way out in the hallway eventually. He didn't want Rori to overhear any of the quarrels, though she probably wouldn't understand any of it at her youthful age anyway, but Seifer felt just as Rori within it all, oblivious to the main factors and understandings in Rinoa's past. Why she would continue to see Squall even when he would leave after learning of the existence of his only child with Rinoa had baffled Seifer. He wanted Rinoa to open up to him in a way she never had before.

Outside of Rori's room, Seifer folded his arm, his foot tapping with the rhythm of passerby who were busying with the patients in need. He wanted to know everything Rinoa was willing to offer to him about Squall. He wanted to see why she would have hope in a man who had left her all alone for four years. Seifer wanted to understand what was so special about Squall. "So where is he?" He asked, repeating his earlier question with a hint of impatience and arrogance.

"I don't know, Seifer… He left last night and hasn't been back since." Her eyes were beginning to glow with a glare…a glare to him, a glare to Squall, it was indistinguishable, but he knew those eyes were meant for _someone_.

He wondered if his curiosity had angered her; _that_ was the last thing he wanted to happen. "…Look, I'm sorry." He had apologized, hoping she could drop the glare that was thickening by the second.

Rinoa had lightly cleared her throat before speaking again, "…I mean, we _talked_ for a little while after I told him the truth—" She frowned, thinking back to their petty arguments, an exchange of heated words of truth from both sides, an ongoing war and struggle that made her feel as though it wouldn't be easy to rise victoriously.

He noticed her frown, but continued his quest for understanding, and so he interrupted her words, "Do you think he'll come back this time?"

"…I really can't say." She said, her eyes tracing the floor. Thoughts of the conversation they had had later on that night began to bloom into her memory. Once again she found herself wondering how she could hate a person so much, but then she could…love him at the same time. Yes, deep down in her heart, Rinoa hoped he would return, if not for her, but at least for Rori. She finally admitted to wanting to see him again…for _Rori's_ sake…and a little for _her_ own sake as well.

Seifer saw that her eyes became glossy, the corners beginning to weld with an ocean of tears. Rinoa then clutched her hands into fists at her sides; groaning with a whisper, "…Ooou, he makes me so mad."

Seeing this display of strange behavior from Rinoa, Seifer couldn't help but notice the woman had stayed too much in thought about Squall's return. He already knew she disliked him to boot, but then, there was a side of Rinoa he hadn't met at all. The side of her he had begun to see more of when Squall first appeared in Balamb. Normally, she was witty and down to earth, but lately, he had witnessed a warped version of Rinoa who only consumed her time with the muse of Squall. He understood she had some unfinished business with him, undoubtedly, but he never knew she could become so involved with the matter. Call it curiosity or just a hunch, but Seifer had finally decided to ask the question he feared the most, the question that would take everything to a whole new level, "Um…" He interrupted Rinoa's one man show, buying valuable time to actually gather his thoughts for the proper inquiry. "…Can I ask you something..?"

She immediately snapped out of her trance and upturned her face to Seifer's. "…I thought that's why we came out here in the first place?" She stated plainly, gesturing to the white, melancholic halls of the hospital.

Seifer pushed aside his likeable smirk with demanding sternness, "Rinoa, _please_ just hear me out…okay?"

"…Sure." She said, her fists easing back into their normal appearances as palms at both of her sides. When she realized how serious he was, the calmness in her voice returned, and she questioned him this time, "What is it?"

Seifer sighed, finally having the real Rinoa back for a change, but then he realized just how difficult it would be to ask what his heart had honestly wanted to know and understand from her. "…Rinoa, I know you and Squall were…married for a while. I mean, it's only natural for you to still sort of…care about him, but…what I want to know is… Do you still…still have _feelings_ for him? …Be honest."

She was silent.

If he had asked that questioned a year ago, he would've received a heartless response of _no_, the likes of someone who was abandoned and then learned that she was pregnant, and had to go forth with nine months of agony, all alone, just to bring _his_ child into the world…and he wasn't even there to see _anything_. She hated Squall! Her first intention was to say _no_, but then…she allowed herself to be honest, Seifer's biggest mistake. If he had left honesty out of the equation, maybe she could have answered him _no_. Now that she had to be honest, all those emotions that were trapped within her heart began to take form, make a mold in her soul, and recall those heartrending, quaking desires and feelings for Squall.

_Sure,_ she could _say_ that her feelings for the man would never die, but then…that didn't mean he would love her exactly the same. Yes, he _had_ returned from the grave and made an appearance in her life once again, but just as easily as he had returned, he could without a doubt leave. Squall was no idiot, he would probably establish some progress and trust from her, but just when everything fell back to the way things were, he would leave. It was a scary thought for her, indeed.

Rinoa feared she would never trust him for the rest of her life, not wanting to be a fool for Squall, not wanting to allow him to have that power to play with her heart. However, just as simply as she could answer _yes_, she would lose Seifer, a man who could indeed live up to his word, unlike Squall. He would be there for her in every way possible. He would love her to the best of his ability, and she could possibly care for him for the rest of her life. She loved how greatly his relationship with Rori had evolved; he was more a father to her than Squall could ever be.

_Than Squall could ever be?_ She repeated in her own mind.

And then his words hit her like a thousand stones to a glasshouse, shattering her mind into millions of pieces, **_"…But you didn't give me a chance! You're about ready to take off with that other guy!"_**

He was right; Squall was right, wasn't he…? How could she prejudge his ability as a father? It was already wrong for her to inform him of their child the way she had, so why should she go about and add another wrong move to her name. Rinoa feared she was losing the war…had she been wrong about Squall since day one? And then, she could recall the very first time she had heard Squall speak Rori's name aloud that night; so soft…and so fatherly.

Seifer's voice immediately tore through her thoughts once again, "…What about us? …Is it…is it over? …Just like that?"

"…Seifer." Rinoa, caught in the muse of her thoughts once again, had reached out for Seifer's being, but he backed away from her slowly, his head shaking from side to side as he voiced his frustration, "…Why can't you see that he's just toying with your emotions? He won't _ever_ be there for you when you need him, Rinoa! Where is he _now! Why _isn't he here with Rori when she's in the _hospital_! Can't you see that he doesn't give a living shit about you! _I_ love you, _dammit_! I'm _always_ here for you!_ How_ can you trust _him, _that piece of_--"_ Rinoa suddenly and regrettably struck Seifer's cheek with a hard palm. His left cheek reddened, eyes piercing the door across the hall of Rori's room. He was frozen with the pain of his foolish ramblings. He hadn't meant to explode, and he hadn't meant any harm… He didn't dare to look at Rinoa or any other person who might have passed them in this moment. He was ashamed.

Rinoa forced, through her caving throat, a silent whisper, "…We got married at eighteen knowing it was a premature marriage, but we _knew_ one another for a long period of time _before_ we tied the knot. We went through some harsh times together." She paused, "I know that Squall's made plenty of idiotic choices during these last years…but I still know _my_ Squall. It doesn't matter _how_ long it takes for him to realize…" She had finally exhaled, noticing Seifer's eyes glimmering from the hot ceiling lights though they had never moved from the number imprinted upon the surface of the door across the hall, "…or how badly I might want him to go away…there's no denying the fact that I'll wait for him until the day I die." She had begun to feel her own eyes welding with tears. "…There's no way I can give my heart…this _broken_, damaged heart…to you as I can to Squall, Seifer. It's just not possible."

And with one final sigh, Rinoa muttered, "…And if he _never_ comes back, I'll continue to feel this way about him…because I love him." She placed a gentle and on Seifer's cheek, soothing the reddened skin of his face where she had slapped him previously. "But I want you to know that I do care about you too Seifer. …I just don't feel that I can be there for you in the way that you want me to be. There can never be an _Us, _and…I'm sorry."

This time, Seifer was silent. He shrugged away from her hand and proximity, backing away from her in the halls. Never saying a word, the young blonde shook his head from side to side, acknowledging her presence no more. Before she could call him back for any more hurt, Seifer was out of her reach, out of her sight, and out of her life.

Even if he hadn't known her for a few years longer, just as she and Squall, he still knew there was something special about her. He loved her, only God knew that he wanted to take care of her with the rest of his days, with all the money he had acquired from his family. He wanted to be everything for Rinoa, everything she lacked, needed, and loved…if not everything possibly, he wanted to at least near her state of _perfection_.

There was only one thing that lay in the way of his wants…Squall.

* * *

Parked along the rough sands of Balamb's coastline was a dark Convertible, and on the tip of its hood sat a very confused man. Squall had been sitting there for a while, staring out into the open sea, staring out until he felt as if the ground would drift and wither away into nothingness. He saw the clouds scraping the surface of the waters, taunting the reflections they projected. He felt the gusts of wind swaying in; prickling his face with grains of sand, continuing its violent onslaught of blustery winds though his mind wandered elsewhere, caring less of nature's meddling. 

He was there in the prime of sunrise, but he was not _quite_ there.

Though the golden light had pierced the sky moments ago, there was no acknowledgement of its full glory on Squall's behalf. His mind was in a completely different place...

"…_**Squall?" Her little voice echoed like sweet music to his ears. **_

"_**Yes Rori?"**_

"…_**Are you my daddy?"**_

_**He took a deep breath, completely unexpected the question.**_

"_**Squall?"**_

_**He walked closer to her darkened figure and helped her to lie back onto her marshmallow pillow. He smiled, moving the loose strands of hair behind her ears and leaning in to kiss her cheek tenderly. Squall muttered, "Go to sleep Rori."**_

_**And before the girl could understand his answer, he was out of the door.**_

He understood that what had happened was wrong. It was wrong to leave the girl in the heat of the night as he had, but there was no way he could face her innocent questions. Even _he_ wasn't ready for news such as that. He had believed Rinoa was injured and hospitalized, but quickly learned that he had been deceived…and then a _daughter _was thrown into the mix! Squall pushed his fingers together, palm in palm, to help ease the tension that had built up with the thoughts of his mind.

He thought to himself, _I'm not ready…I'm not ready for all this. _He definitely needed time alone; he was entitled to that right, _right?_ Rinoa wouldn't think of him as selfish if he went away to figure things out on his own, would she?However, was his having to go away truly necessary? Did he really need to leave them behind?

_What am I doing…? What am I doing here? _He questioned the wind, hoping it would have his favor and answer his inquiries. But just as everything in his life, his questioning fell upon deaf ears: no one to listen, no one to understand, no way to get through to Rinoa… nowhere to go. Just as he received the upper hand beside Rinoa, he sadly felt as though it was now being drawn back from his reach. Suddenly, the problem was _not_ about winning Rinoa's heart once again, but carrying out the duty of being a pleasing sight in Rori's eyes, and knowing what type of father to be to _her_. His own experiences as a kid weren't too grand, so he had no idea what specialty he might be able to offer Rori. Plus, Rinoa might feel that he is a stranger and keep Rori away from him anyway. She had the potential to do something like that, didn't she?

Squall shook his head to the measly voice of deceit, his own feelings overtaking his thoughts once again. He tried to focus on the brighter sides of things…but somehow, even that attempt seemed difficult. His mind then wandered back to the likes of Rori.

When she had asked him that dreadful question, it was as if all the answers in his mind had abandoned him, and he was left in a dark room, standing on a platform of shame. Never fancying suspicion too much himself, he _wanted_ to say that he was her father, but only if it were that _easy_! He _couldn't_ explain why the answer wouldn't come, he _didn't_ want to see her face, and he _didn't_ want to hurt her as _Rinoa_ insisted he would…

Squall sighed amidst the winds that were now _calming_ his nerves with breezy gentleness, freely swishing the shorelines into the crunchy sands beneath the fair sky. So much time had passed since he first pulled out of the hospital's parking lot and driven down the long road, parking at the coast. Or not even within the _last_ hour, but years…so many years had gone by him, just where was he? His life seemed to sift away between his fingers. Suddenly, he was back in Balamb, four years later and changed…_different_.

What would've happened had he never returned? Would Rinoa be so stressed, disoriented? _Definitely not_, he hoped.

Was Rinoa so distracted by his presence that she averted her attention away from Rori, and allowed the girl to wander into the street, directly into the pathway of a car? _How in the world could Rinoa let that happen? _

Finally he sighed to himself, _Well, I know it's not Rinoa's fault…but why wasn't she with Rori?_ And the time! It was late when Squall arrived at the hospital, Rori was still in the emergency room. _…Maybe they were there earlier...maybe Rinoa didn't know how to tell me about her…? _He thought, hoping to shed light unto his muse, but that hope only created doubt.

…_Why would she wait so long to tell me..? …I know, she apologized to me later on about the whole situation, but…it doesn't help the fact that she waited so long to tell me about Rori in the first place. Doesn't she trust me at all? _

_What about everyone else? Do they know? Mom and Laguna…do they know? I'm sure her father knows…he knows about everything that goes on between us. _He groaned in disgust, _why am I always the last to know…? _

His mind continued, growing in confusion, concern, and anger. At one moment, he didn't want to be a father at all, but at the next he was just as concerned as a father would be. He knew Rinoa hadn't meant to keep _anything_ from him…he knew their past was on the rocks, and that a rough road was ahead of them, but the longer he sat on the hood of the car, the more he found doubt in the successfulness of their relationship.

And he knew that if he were to ever leave again, Rinoa would _never_ forgive him.

He looked up into the skies as a flock of seagulls flew by, flying in the beams of sunlight that were now beginning to sting the pupils of his eyes. He shielded his face from the light, and averted his gaze to the water once more. From the dawn of a new day, Squall was glad Rinoa had been asleep at his departure; he only wished the sea would tell him which move he should make next.

- - - - - -

"I expect to see my car _fully furnished_ in this here shop in less than ten minutes-Do you understand me?" A short, angry customer yelled into Zell's face, sprinkling him with the S' and T's as he demonstrated his anger by smashing one fist into a rough palm, aiming to be Zell's face on contact.

Zell held up his hands in defense, "Please, I told you, the car is in good hands, it's just…uh…undergoing…an—"

The man cut off Zell's half baked explanation, "I'm supposed to believe you! You can't even tell me where my car is! Are you really the owner, you sound like a newly hired teenager—" Suddenly, the dark convertible pulled into the shop's driveway, the driver exiting from the newly washed, waxed, and gassed automobile emerged with a dazzling smile, one that made Zell want to puke.

"Your car, sir, filled to the tank with fuel, of course, and washed, as per complimentary of Zell's Auto Mechanics' Shop. Sorry for the delay." Squall said, drawing upon the memories of his days as a businessman.

And the man stood before Zell and the other male, speechless, jaw-dropped in all his glory, his attire matching the likes of his cherished car almost perfectly. He could stand there all day, but Zell shooed him away with a friendly smile, "Thank you, and please do come again."

"…Why…yes…yes, of course…uhm, pleasure doing business with you." The old man said, ridiculed but thankful. He half bowed to Squall and after a few seconds of hesitation, he bowed to Zell as well.

When he finally curled into his car and pulled away, Zell had stared at Squall and then smiled, "…You never cease to amaze me, but that was _too_ close. If you were any other person, you would've gotten fired for pulling a stunt like that Squall."

Squall would've had a good finishing touch to Zell's amusement, but there was something far more important on his mind, bothering him since he had neared the city in that black car. The tension and frustration had built upon itself, and all of Squall's world would feel the fury lounging at the tip of his tongue.

He struck out at Zell. "…Did you know about her…about Rori?" And as soon as he asked, Zell had sighed, throwing a dirty towel over his shoulder and made his way toward the back of the shop.

The blonde sighed, "Aw, c'mon Squall…_everyone_ knows about her." He knew the day would come when he would have to explain _everything_ to Squall, being the best friend he was entitled to be.

"It's not everyone if _I_ had no idea about it. …You could've at least told me before. Then I wouldn't have wasted anymore time around here."

"What-you saying you would've left Rinoa _again_!"

"No, I wouldn't have gotten a job _here_, in this _stinky_ shop, with _you_!" Squall yelled, truthfully answering the question Zell had first posed to him upon the day he had first asked for a job in the shop. Squall approached him angrily, "Did Rinoa make this into a group discussion or something! Let's all _not_ tell Squall about his kid, let's lie in his face and make him feel guilty about not coming back sooner!"

Zell questioned him curiously, "All…all, who?" There weren't that many people in the town that Squall knew of personally, not unless one would count the _other_ friends he had probably made during his long run.

"You, and everyone else who knows about Rori, who happens to know me! I'm sick of you all butting into our problems and taking a side--Forget it, why am I even wasting time here…" He took a deep breath, but continued his hazy glare into Zell's eyes, "…All I ask is that you tell me the things I _need_ to know. I don't _care_ if Rinoa told you to keep a secret from me, you should tell me anyway… The things she informs you all about…she…she doesn't even allow my input, so you see, how could I have known about Rori when I never had the chance to know? …Zell, Rori was hit by a car…and I'm pretty sure the girl could've died, but Rinoa would've said _nothing_ to me!"

"…Geez, Squall…I didn't know it was like that. …She only said it was to keep Rori safe."

"Safe from _who_? I'm not a monster!"

"…But you've been gone for so long. She thought if you ever did come back, you might not be the same…" Zell sighed and admitted, "…She did it to protect Rori…not to harm you, Squall. …Why can't you just get that through your head?"

_Not to harm me?_ Squall thought to himself, his eyes dropping to the oil-stained floors of the shop. He backed away from Zell and faced the opened entryway. "…I'm sorry Zell…I didn't mean it." He said, never turning around to confirm his apologies with the blonde. Zell only nodded, not speaking a word, he knew what pain Squall had to have endured during the last few days…his words would do nothing to support him at this time.

Squall had walked, his body keeping a steady pace, yet his mind was elsewhere once again. He hadn't known what to do with himself since he stepped foot from the hospital's grounds. All day in a world of his own, the land of thoughts: his utopia, his hell. He hated to shelter himself in his thoughts this way, but every now and then, it was inevitable. He needed to think about his life and the people in it. How they could help him, but betray him at once, and all for the sake of one person…Rinoa.

With his mind at center to an array of thoughts, Squall stepped out into the street, crossing over to _his_ and _Rinoa's_ favorite place at the docks in Balamb. Usually, it was a peaceful sight, the sea and its horizon, but today there was an ominous aura enveloping his body. He was halfway in the street when a car, brakes screeching aloud, swerved to a dead stop before him, its hood tapping Squall's thigh.

It was the red sports car again; the hood of its engine smoking just as the head of its mad driver, who opened the door and climbed out, lunging toward Squall with an accusing index finger, "You! Who do you think you are?" Seifer yelled, continuing to point to Squall, and Squall stared at him, absentmindedly…his mind not yet summing up the fact that he was almost hit by a car, the car belonging to mystery man, Rinoa's _lover_.

"Get out of my way." Squall said, no longer angered by Rinoa possibly moving on. He knew the two of them had had problems; the list of things that he needed to come clean to Rinoa about had continued to grow on. He noted that she probably _would _leave him for someone else eventually…so why not let her be with someone who wouldn't harm her…like the mystery man himself.

"No!" Seifer said, pushing Squall back and trotting toward him, "Not until I get a good explanation of why you can't stand her."

_Her_, being Rinoa, Squall knew…but he just hadn't felt like answering him. Squall, aiming to walk around the man, was pushed back into the street by him again. Angered by the man's persistent nuisance, Squall glared into his eyes, his voice as deep and threatening as his smoldering eyes, "I don't know _who_ you are, but you had best get out of my way."

"The name's Seifer, and no, I'm not moving an inch. You've got balls coming back here, making her fall into your little scheme, man, and I admit that it worked. Rinoa obviously needs you. I'm betting it all that she's praying for your safe return, but where are you! Thinking about leaving again like the true coward you are! ….What the hell are you afraid of! _Rori?_!"

Seifer had merely giggled before Squall as he continued, "Personally, I don't care if you _never_ come back, I'd _love_ to see that happen…but then Rinoa won't be the same again. I don't understand what it is that you're waiting for…_nothing_ out there can compare to what you have right here…trust me. But if you think I'm just going to sit by and let her raise Rori _alone_, you better guess again, 'cause faster than the speed of light, I'll be there for her… Rinoa, Rori, and me…a big, happy family, and as for you _then?_ …Well _Squall, _I suggest you go to hell, because once she's with me, you won't be able to crawl back to her again…"

And with that, the blonde proceeded back to his car. He hesitated a moment before pulling off, almost as if he had wanted to say more. _No…I've already done enough. Everything else is up to this jerk… Still, if she could have it any other way…why him? _He had pulled away…leaving Squall with more burden on his heart.

Noticing that everything he did on his own had never gone right, Squall realized his _thinking things through_ was also falling into that same pattern. Every moment he spent away from her, he had become angrier with the world. He was angry with himself, with the people he knew, and angry with Rinoa even more. What could he do now?

The brunet sighed into the wind, taking in the fact that there was only one thing to do. His battle did not lie with everyone else who knew about Rinoa's decision, but his _war_ was with Rinoa herself, and alone… He had finally accepted his very fate…what he needed now was the strength and courage to actually face it.

* * *

_**Once Upon an Author's Brave Return**_

* * *

_**How many "returns" do I have now? I've probably set the record, lol. Seriously, things have been so crazy for me with the hurricane and all…so I hope it continues where I left off last time. Feel free to help me out here, this chapter was tougher than you might think! This was something I had to do for myself, most of all…so I hope the next chapter to follow will be much more exciting. Of course, it's boiling to its end anyway, you know. So in a way, that sucks. **_

_**Anyways, let me know what you think, hate it, like it, love it, dig it, I'm all ears, haha. No worries, I'll just push harder to bring better chapter to you next time.**_

_**To all of you who reviewed since I've been away, I thank you. You know who you are…I bet I had replies to all of your reviews, but with everything going into turmoil, I can't remember what I would've thought to write for the life of me.**_

_**I'm so sorry…**_

_**Thanks again,**_

_**StardustRay**_


	11. To Walk Shamelessly

_Disclaimer: It sucks…I have never felt so bad. Good thing I don't own Final Fantasy 8!_

* * *

_**Chapter 11: Shameless**_

* * *

**__**

_Who does that guy think he is? Barging into my face and ordering me to go back to Rinoa, I should've knocked his lights out…but then, he had a point, didn't he? _

…_What am I waiting for?_

Squall was back in his hotel room ripping through his suitcases like a maniac in need of satisfying his greatest desires. Throwing articles of clothing to and fro until the object of interest was in his grasp, but nothing came of his search.

He was in pursuit of something buried deep within his luggage since the day he had decided to return to Balamb: letters he wrote to Rinoa over the course of fours years he spent away from her. During his _little_ joy period, he had become guiltier than ever and had wanted to contact her in someway; however, he could never dare to use a telephone…he was a coward at heart.

With fault plaguing his heart, he decided to write Rinoa a letter one day, confirming that he was still alive and unharmed somewhere in the world. Because his guilt was so intoxicating, the letter became the closest thing to an apology that he ever arrived at. He had initially hoped she could read it and not have to worry about him, but the objective shifted greatly as Squall found himself spilling his deepest thoughts onto paper, his very soul etched into words from his heart. At that moment, he decided never to send the letter to her, for it was more personal than he originally intended it to be, his personal confession serving as a way to release all the tension he had stored inside during their marriage.

Often times he found himself wondering why he hadn't worded his feelings onto paper during his time at home; therefore, his running away would prove to be futile. Even so, the regrets grew stronger, and he eventually pushed aside all his convicting thoughts to lead a life outside of his marriage, outside of his shell, and outside of his crumbling mind.

Suddenly, his frantic search came to a halt as one crucial piece of evidence stood out in his mind.

_I burned them…_ The brunet thought to himself, stroking the frame of his chin with a trembling hand. A shaky laugh followed as he moved that same hand into the loose strands of hair that slithered between each of his fingers. _I felt like an idiot for writing those things about her, so I burned them. I didn't want the truth…I wanted to forget about everything. Once I made up my mind to return, I didn't want my past to haunt me. But Rinoa…she'll have to know about it sometime. She must know. If I have to be there for her from now on, then I want her to know what it is that I did, and what I've become…_

_If it is at all possible, I would want her to move on and regret nothing… I want her to be…_

Squall paced toward his bathroom, punching its door open with a rough fist as he made his way to the clear mirror, staring at the man lurking within. With the realization of his new life, he did not recognize himself in the mirror; there was no way he could. The man that Rinoa knew and loved was lost, and now…there remained a piece of who he was, _that _and the unclean nature of his mind. Disgusted by the filth displayed before his eyes, he turned away from the mirror with a heavy sigh.

…_I want her to be happy._

Squall was standing there in the room wearing shoes that seemed to weigh a ton on both of his feet, his body aching immensely, and sore from carrying the awful baggage of his sins and regrets over the years. Somehow, the thought of Rinoa being happy for the rest of her life had melted all that pain away. He was glad…glad that seeing Rinoa happy would mean he _too_ could be entitled to peace. He could care less of what might happen to him so long as Rinoa was living the life she truly deserved, a life free of the agony of having that intimate feeling of comfort taken away so suddenly.

In the brink of his realization, Squall had an epiphany about the very core of his greatest fault. What he had fallen victim to for most of his life was exactly what he _unconsciously_ forced onto Rinoa: loneliness.

_During the years of my parent's separation and divorce, I was at the worst state in all of my life. Because my mom and dad were tied up in their own disputes, they hardly ever noticed I was there. As the weeks passed by, I had purposely spaced myself away from them since they only cared for me whenever the custody battle was mentioned. Eventually, they found some common ground but still decided to part from one another for a little while, which meant that I would have to travel from Deling City to Timber just to spend **quality** time with both of them throughout their entire separation. _

_As a sophomore in Deling City, I saw Rinoa, Rinoa **Caraway**, at school for the first time in my life, but I hadn't actually met **her** until some weeks later. I remember I wasn't very social with any of the kids my age. I thought they were all immature, but I'll say this: I merely envied them **because** they were ordinary and carefree, and hadn't shared my unfortunate issues. Rinoa happened to be in a few of my classes, the most ecstatic of the bunch, and I especially disliked her because she was able to smile every single day… through thick and thin. I guess I envied her, wondering how she managed to keep living life as though nothing bothered her. She was always happy in class, but I felt something deeper from her…and no one else seemed to notice the pain she guarded so well. They say when a person is always giddy, something is usually bothering them within…_

_Well, it was when Rinoa had mysteriously missed a day of school that I learned of her struggles behind the closed doors of the Caraways, my confirmation. The kids of our class began to gossip about her life outside of school, saying that she was never allowed to make any of her own choices about her future and that she was under strict punishment that day. I don't know why, but I found myself pitying her at that moment. There she was with **both** parents, and still having difficulties in life. I guess life's never really perfect after all. _

_Every now and then, she would try to get my attention by including me into the group in some of our classes, so I decided to respond to her comments just to make her day complete. Though I hadn't realized that by submitting to her enthusiastic façade, she would eventually capture my true interests and shape my world all the more. After some time passed, I confessed that I knew about the treatment she received at home, and then she admitted to knowing more about me than she was willing to tell also. From then on, we were able to share our pain, along with a few laughs, and had become close friends; I even got the pleasure of meeting Rinoa **Heartilly**. _

_Rinoa was such a bad influence on me and I think it's because I always strived to do well in all of my classes. Some days she forced me to skip those classes just to visit almost every place in town, but then I soon learned that skipping school was how she could escape the pressures at home. We made sure to return to the campus by the end of the school day because her parents had always picked her up directly at the school's front. Mr. and Mrs. Caraway prohibited her from taking the bus home; she wasn't even able to walk around the city with any male or **anyone** for that matter. This occurred until we became seniors in high school; they seemed to lighten her restrictions as we got older. Our senior year was a very special year; it was when I discovered I had feelings for her, for Rinoa._

_Suddenly, when thinking of my future, I realized I could do nothing on my own. I **needed** her there with me. I needed Rinoa there in order to decide what would happen next in my life. Since we could talk to one another about almost anything, I learned that Rinoa also had trouble deciding what she wanted to do with her life. At that moment, I took a leap of faith and confessed my feelings for her, feelings that she surprisingly returned for me. I never felt more complete or sure of myself than as I had in those days with Rinoa. I miss those days…_

…_The second I allowed others to share their opinions about our relationship, I began to develop a sense of bitterness about my life. My biggest fault…my weakness, and my sin was believing whatever they said to me and becoming the insignificant person that Rinoa didn't need or deserve. Being told I wasn't good enough for her, or that I didn't know what love was…those things are what forced me to abandon her back then… When she stopped smiling the way she used to, I felt like my time was up, Rinoa would leave me just as everyone else had some point in their lives…My father for one… Suddenly…I felt that my smile was lost as well…_

Drawn back from the forces down memory lane, his sharp eyebrows slanted when his forehead curled with anger, remembering the agonizing words his father spat to him on that day, **_their_** day. He hated it, and he hated that man even more.

Squall then sighed in relief as he faced himself in the mirror once again. He had remembered to breathe, and that the past was in the past. In that moment, he recalled all that had happened to him during those four years, and for the first time in his life, he didn't feel ashamed. Why did he need to? All the rough tides of waves from his past only made him into a stronger person today; he had the right to be proud of where he came from, and what he went through.

_All I have to offer Rinoa is the truth. The only way I can make a significant impact on Rori's life is if I'm able to be myself…**without** the burden of the past or ever having Rinoa to think that I'm keeping something away from her as she had to do with me. She didn't want to harm me…and nor do I want to inflict more sadness on her. I only want her to be happy…no, I want **them** to be happy._

_Rori…my little girl…I can't believe I'm a father…_

_-- -- -- -- _

Near the bus stop that would get him to downtown Balamb, Squall saw there was a Gift Shop that sold just about everything he could ever want from the local grocery store, though he wasn't much of shopper unless _he_ was the only person to shop for. There were times when Rinoa sent him out to the store, even in the midst of a _storm_, with a _multitude_ of items on their grocery list. He remembered grunting and swearing underneath his breath about how cruel the woman could be, but Rinoa would always get his better side by baking a sweet dessert that made him forget about all of her wrongdoings. He laughed to himself, pushing the palm of his hand over his lips and faking a cough so the storeowner wouldn't get the idea that he was humoring himself.

Somehow, Squall felt drawn to the open Gift shop. With a layout no better than a newspaper stand, he wondered just why he felt compelled to try it at all. He proceeded to skim the products that were on display at its front.

"See anything you need?" The storeowner asked him briskly; maybe he had been standing there longer than he needed to.

Squall lowered his hand from his mouth, his eyes catching hers before dropping down to the racks of magazines and items stacked neatly together, behind row after row of other paperbacks and junk foods. He forced a smile, not one to enjoy remarks from impatient clerks in a store, a place that centered on decision-making; he decided to make it snappy. Finally, his eye caught an item of interest, the _something_ that had probably called him over to do business in the _first_ place, and he cleared his throat, stooping down to grab the item from its place on the shelf; "…I'll take this."

"Alright, that's exactly fifty gil." She said, holding out her hand for the money, and Squall paid, glad to escape the rude woman's shop. He wondered if buying anything from her place was worth it at all. Eventually, the brunet shook away the unsettling thoughts and paced toward the bus stop. Hopefully, he would catch the bus with Downtown Balamb as its next destination, taking him away from the woman _before_ her eyes began to set _fire_ to his clothing.

* * *

_It's well passed noon…I wonder what everyone else is doing? …Squall. I wonder what made him leave so quickly…I mean, I know everything happened so fast for the both of us, but he didn't have to just leave like that. _

_What if he's gone forever? On a train or bus bound for Timber…far away from us. I wouldn't be surprised if he's heading somewhere, anywhere but here. _

_Seifer, was it wrong of me to say those things to you? Did you even deserve to know so much? I hadn't meant to say anything that would hurt you, don't you know? Why can't you understand me anymore? You were the sweetest guy…and I…_

_No…I had to tell him how I truly felt, otherwise, I would've just hurt him somewhere down the road. Better that he's released to live his own life, and not bind by the stressfulness of my entire universe. But if Squall has decided to leave me for good…then what will I do from now on? I know I can manage, I mean…Rori and I, we've made it this far…four years. Four long years…_

_Squall… _

"Momma, you can use my bed if you like. You look so sleepy!" Rori _loudly_ whispered to her mother who had been yawning into the palm of her hand.

Shaking her head from side to side, Rinoa answered, "I'm fine, honey. Don't worry about me. You just have to get better so tonight can be the last time mommy has to sleep in that chair." Rinoa said, pushing aside her sleepiness for the sake of pleasing her daughter's concerned heart. She forced a smile and found that another yawn awaited her again.

Rori laughed aloud, rolling onto her back and kicking her feet into the air with a finishing squeal, "You need to sleep in my bed!"

The young woman straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath, "Rori, it's okay… I'm not as tired as I look."

"…There's a mirror in the bathroom if you want to see—"

"_Rori!_" Rinoa couldn't help but laugh. She had reached over the bed and dug her fingers into Rori's sides, tickling the girl intensely, and they filled the entire room with laughter once more.

Rori, unable to contain her cackling, screamed aloud, "I'm Sorry! _I'm sorry_! I didn't mean to be _mean_! I Quit! _Mommy_!"

Rinoa had immediately stopped, smiling down at the girl's soft face. She placed a kiss on Rori's cheek and climbed in the tall hospital bed beside her. "…It's alright." She said, smoothing Rori's hair out with a comforting hand, "…You were absolutely right, Rori. I think a little nap in this huge marshmallow puff will do us both just fine, and it may even cure me of the sleepy blues."

Rori snuggled close to her mother's warmth, her back to the door. By the second, she felt her eyes becoming heavier and eventually fell into a light slumber, as had Rinoa.

---- --- ---

A short while later, Rinoa heard the door to their room opening with a creak that caused her eyes to peel open. Upon opening them, she saw the vivid image of a very familiar frame of a person shifting from side to side, as he first peaked inside and then pulled his entire body through. _Squall…! _Her mind and heart cried in unison. She watched as he steadied himself beside the doorframe with a faint smile across his lips, his brown hair danced over his eyes and sent the looser strands on a slight rattle as he muffled a silent chuckle into the still air. Along with the quiet laughter, his smile had widened almost brighter than usual, happier... as if he were entertained by God's good humor, and she was glad. She saw his shoulders easing as he planted his back into the pasty wall behind him, leaning against it for extra comfort; _maybe he's having a difficult time waking us up,_ she added in her mind.

Rinoa had not made an attempt to move from the bed; instead, she lied there with her arms around Rori, silently taken in Squall's presence. She noticed his clothes had changed. He stood, with folded arms, in black pants and t-shirt, pressing the bottom of his right boot into the wall as he studied their figures across the hospital bed. Rinoa could feel a wave of comfort looming over her being, and she closed her eyes. Maybe it was because Squall was there, and she felt safe with him in the same room.

She snuggled her head onto the soft pillow and pulled the covers over Rori's shoulder, the girl's head also on that very pillow, unbothered by Rinoa's shifting. Peering between the cracks of her eyes, the last thing she saw was Squall's face, young and pure even…just as Rori's. Rinoa had then fallen asleep once more, as Rori's observation had been correct all along, she was too tired to do anything else.

The next time Rinoa woke up, she heard Squall's voice coming from behind her. "This one is Siren." He said quietly, he had obviously been keeping his voice down to avoid ruining her lovely nap. "She's a maiden at sea with a singing voice as beautiful as a dove."

"She's so pretty!" Rori's voice bellowed after Squall's, and Rinoa was surprised to find that the girl was no longer beside her in the bed, "Her hair looks like wings! …But why does she look so mad?"

"Yeah," His voice returned, now sounding as though he were seated near the window in the large chair that Rinoa had greatly despised. Rinoa opened her eyes, but was sure not to make any sudden movements that would give away the fact that she was now awake. "…Siren, she used her voice to sing aloud so that the voyagers of the seas could hear her song, only, she surrounded herself with huge rocks and boulders, so it was impossible to actually sail through and see her."

"Then how could the people get to her? Why didn't she go some place where they could all hear her music and not have to go through those rocks?" Rori asked, her little voice twisting with each question.

"Because she didn't like people very much…and the rocks acted like some barrier to keep the outsiders away."

"Barrier?"

"It's a shield…something you would hide behind when danger is coming?"

"Oh! Like my bed! Whenever mommy comes after me to tickle me, I always hide behind the bed! She never finds me there!" She said with a giggle, and Rinoa could hear Squall laughing with her.

A smile formed on her own lips as she listened to them continue, "Well yeah, like your bed…but let's see, Siren would lure them in with her songs so that their ships could crash into them and sink to the bottom of the ocean."

"She _was_ mean!"

Squall confirmed, "That's right, her ugliness was her meanness. …One day, a man was onboard a vessel sailing the seas where she lived, and he heard her beautiful songs along with many others. Naturally, he was drawn in by her voice and decided to find out for himself who had been singing the songs; however, the closer he got to her voice, the more he noticed the crashed and broken ships from the other crews in the pathway. Even larger ships, greater on the scale of their own, were caught up with the rocks and boulders, and it was then that he realized they were heading into the danger zone. The man warned the other crewmembers, telling them to cover their ears and keep their eyes peeled for any dangerous rocks that could most likely do serious damage to their vessel."

"And then what happened?" Rori's voice broke through his words.

"Well, the man jumped off of the ship and swam to the highlands where the maiden had hidden herself."

"_What? _But she's so mean!"

"Yeah, but he didn't let that stop him…So the man braved her songs and finally found Siren sitting on the highest rock, just as she's seen here on the card. When she realized someone had broken through her barrier, she became furious and prepared to summon her sea waves to wash the intruder away. Little did she know the man was actually a mage, a person skilled in magic, and before she could destroy him, he had quickly cast a spell of silence to her vocal cords. Siren's songs stopped immediately. The man escaped and went back to his fellow crewmembers, and they continued their journey away. Siren remained there in her barrier of rocks, disgraced that she could no longer sing her mystifying songs. In time, she replaced her voice with a harp that equally brought satisfaction to her ears, but to those who heard this music and dared to approached, she branded the same miserable fate in which she endured, and they became mutes."

"…So they couldn't speak either?"

"Nope, they were as dumb as a donkey."

"Wow…" Rori whispered, and then she laughed out loud, "Donkey!" She copied him, her voice bellowing throughout the room, "Do another one, Squall!"

"Gee…which one do you want to hear?" _She called him Squall…so he still hasn't told her… _

"That one! …No, _that_ one! Remember him?"

"Yeah, I do… It's Carbuncle." _Is he that afraid to tell Rori who he really is?_

"But promise me you won't say anything bad about him!" Rori demanded, and Squall chuckled coolly as he responded, "I promise."

Rinoa shifted in her sleep by accident, causing their heads to look up from the stack of cards in their hold. Rori, sitting in Squall's lap at first, had leapt off and run around to meet Rinoa's eyes. "I knew it!" She yelled, pointing at Rinoa repeatedly, "She's awake!"

"_Rori! _Shh…keep it down; you might disturb your neighbors!" Rinoa said, trying to bring the attention away from her deceitfulness.

"Oh…I'm sorry." Rori said, turning the excitement down a notch. She placed her hands over her mouth and tiptoed over and around the bed to peer at Squall, who sat with a grin that had then caused her little throat to erupt with wild laughter. Rinoa had also found humor in her own expression, and joined the little girl's rampant laughing.

Eventually, everyone settled down and then Rori excused herself to use the restroom extension in the little hospital room. Silence filled the atmosphere with Rori's absence, and both Squall and Rinoa were clueless as to how to break this silence, as it was a cross between peacefulness and tension…

He sighed, rubbing his palms together and standing from the chair, "…How are you feeling?" He asked, lowering his hands to his sides when Rinoa faced him slowly, as if she were afraid to speak to him again. He stared at her quizzically, wondering if she were angry with him for being away for so long.

"Don't look at me like that." She said, turning her eyes away from his.

"…I borrowed a car to get here last night, and I had to bring it back to the shop this morning." It seemed like an excuse, but it was _true_ after all.

"...How did you get here this time?"

"…Caught the bus."

"Oh…" She mouthed, bringing her eyes to the cotton comforters fluffed across the bed. She could remember his conversation with Rori before he left that night…and the way he _had _left…she knew he wasn't thinking about the _car._

With her silence, he knew her mind had been wandering aloft, and he finally confessed, "…I…just needed some time to think, some time to myself."

"…And did you reach a conclusion?" She asked, facing him once again with eyes of steel.

He felt himself fidgeting, his hand reaching up for his hip and the other to his hair. The moment he had been waiting for was his for the taking; it was what he had practiced repeatedly as he rode the bus into town. Somehow, he found himself speechless, his throat had caved in; _Damn you Siren! _He cursed the maiden _and_ himself, she had secretly cast her evils to his own voice, and he was foolish enough to fall for them.

Now Rinoa, sitting on the bed awaiting his answer, had begun to realize how the situation affected Rori. Although he left her answerless that night, she was laughing with him just a little ago as if nothing had happened all along. The child was forgiving, and hadn't cared that her question went unanswered, so despite all the fuss about his disappearance, Rinoa smiled, "…It's okay. I know it's hard…but can you at least let me know what's on your mind next time?"

Squall heaved a sigh in relief, his soul at ease with her response, "…Well I'm here now, aren't I?" A smile illuminated his face, "…I came back to see Rori again…and to," His eyes sunk to the floor of the room, "…I really have a lot I want to talk to you about Rinoa. I just…"

Rinoa placed her feet on the cold, pearly floor, and sauntered toward Squall, stopping underneath his eyes. She stooped down, her face upturned to catch his eyes, and he brought them from the floor and into her brown orbs. She whispered, "…Once Rori goes to sleep tonight, we'll have all the time to talk. You _are_ staying this time?" Rinoa inquired, her voice hinting that she had been awake to witness the scene from before…

Squall swallowed a large lump in his throat, and stood upright. Almost holding his breath, he spat, "Whatever…," His hand gestured a careless wave in the air.

Rinoa smiled again, and when hearing the flush of a toilet and the water running from the sink, retracted her eyes to restroom's door. Rori emerged, shaking her hands in the air, "Rori, wipe your hands on the napkins in the bathroom, don't shake them around like that!"

"…Sorry." The girl said, and immediately walked back into the bathroom to follow her mother's wishes.

When Rinoa faced Squall once more, she saw his eyes had squinted a little, and she shrugged her shoulders, "It wasn't _mean_, she just has a habit of wiping her hands on anything that isn't a napkin or a towel, which could've been _you_ had I not stopped her."

He laughed and shook his head, turning away from the mad woman.

---- ---

Once nightfall arrived, and Rori had finally used up all of her energy, only Rinoa and Squall sat awake in the room. She sat with her legs up and against her chest in the large chair, as he occupied a seat on its arm, leaning forward with his arms resting on his thighs and clasping his palms together. He had stared into the floor for some time as Rinoa stared at Rori's sleeping figure on the bed.

"I'm so sorry about everything…really." He whispered, his eyes piercing the floor. "…I never realized how much I needed you until I left… I was so lost without you."

Rinoa swallowed her breath. She then prepared her voice so it could be as soft as his had been in the air, "…Why _did_ you leave…on that night?"

So soon, she had asked that question…so soon. Squall's eyes went into frenzy, moving back and forth as if searching around the room for an answer. With a heart pounding repeatedly within his chest, he had to take a deep breath to calm it. Thinking back to that night was simple enough, but thinking of his thoughts on that particular night, however…he knew Rinoa would not like the ugly answer he had in store for her. What went through his mind was far worse than the loneliness factor, one that was sure to leave an imprint on Rinoa's heart, damaging it further.

…_What did I do? What was I thinking? _

_I was lying beside her all night long…I hadn't slept a wink... I was trying to talk myself out of leaving…I had been doing so all night long. An ongoing debate…was I to stay, was I to leave? If I left, where would I go, and if I stayed, what would I do? It was endless…_

_I heard her cough into her palm and shift a little underneath the covers. She must've been cold. I looked at her as she silently shivered in the night… She always gets cold at nighttime, no matter what the AC was on, she'll freeze as though we were in an icebox. She was always the same…never changing…always cold. _

_Then it happened…I stared at her gentle face first. One thing's certain, she'll always be beautiful…I still want to touch her, but…she doesn't even want me here… I don't want to be here…No…I do, but…I don't. Still unable to make up my mind, I brought my mouth to her cheek, and planted a tender kiss..._

_I don't think I actually had the heart to leave, no…I didn't think I actually had the heart to leave, but I did… My plan was to leave and get some air for about an hour or so…but when I left, I found myself near the train station…and had somehow, wound up on the train itself…_

"…Squall, just tell me… I think I can handle it now." Rinoa said, touching his back with a soft hand, and he faced her, his eyes glistening even in the darkness of the room. Rinoa sat up, moving closer to him, "Squall…?"

And he grimaced, throat caving in as he finally released his sin, "…I _hated_ you."

The young woman immediately retracted her hand from his back allowing his words to register in her mind, her mouth opened yet speechless. It was at that moment that Rinoa found herself wondering if she really _needed_ to know the answer.

"…I hated you…," He continued, "I hated myself… I hated our lives, everything about them. I couldn't stand living in Balamb…in the house that your _dad_ paid for. I couldn't stand being controlled, accepting their gifts as if I enjoyed eating out of other people's hands… They treated me as if I were poor…just because my parents couldn't get along and I was always stuck out somewhere…I didn't deserve _it_. I didn't deserve _you_. My whole life was a lie! Never good enough for anyone or anything…"

He sighed heavily, disbelieving the fact that he was speaking the words of his heart to her finally, "That's why when Laguna told me that I was too young to take the vow, I bought it. He made me realize that I still had some growing up to do…that I _wasn't_ mature enough to handle those responsibilities… But back then, I didn't think about just _who_ was pleading me to take things slowly… That old man couldn't even obey his _own_ vows, so what _right_ did he have to say _anything _to _me…_"

Rinoa backed against the chair's cushions, sitting herself upright to digest Squall's words properly, "Rinoa, I can't even begin to explain what went through my head that night, words just won't do… I can't tell you exactly why I left, because in all honesty…I just don't know _why_. I don't know why I didn't say anything to you before or why I held it all in… and I can't… I'm…I'm sorry." He murmured, his eyes finally moving away to some distant figure elsewhere.

"…Squall…" Feeling her heart heavier than ever, she feared her eyes would begin to display that same sorrow. Squall, preparing himself to receive hateful words from her behalf, was surprised when she instead muttered softly, "I didn't know." She attempted to call to him once more, but couldn't bare to speak his name again, "…I didn't realize…"

Squall, hearing her voice at such distress, eased down from the arm of the chair and sat beside her, placing a hand on her face. He stared into her eyes, "…I never blamed you…not once did I ever blame you. Every single day that I spent a part from you I realized just what I fool I had been. I was in love with you, and I let those idiots talk me out of it. I allowed facts and labels to stand in my way, stand in _our_ way… I was so weak…a mindless puppet manipulated into living their lives…I hated myself every day, for how stupid I had been… The longer I stayed, the duller I became… Suddenly, all the excitement of the world that my dad always talked about became interesting to me…and I just had to have it. I needed it. Rinoa…I know I'm not making any sense right now. All the things that happened to me, all the so called _excitement_ I experienced…it could never compare to you…" Finally, he stated, his glossy eyes like a magnet of hers, "…I _never_ stopped loving you."

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_**Once Upon An Author's Thoughts**_

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_**Hi again everyone, I don't know what this chapter will bring. Dare I say to flame me if it's stupid…so many things are on my mind lately and I can't concentrate. No matter, I am still dedicated enough to finish this story. I won't make any promises, because I've come to realize whenever I make a promise for another update—a swift update, it almost never happens until much, much later, so for everyone's sake, I won't make a promise. **_

_**Well now, I'm not too fond of the new reply system, so I'll just say a quick thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a review---and to those of you who read but didn't really say anything, thank you too!**_

_**SavannahX-Thank you so much, I'm so sorry for the slow updates, and I will think about returning to Eternal Breath! How long you must've been waiting around for these…**_

_**Lady-Rinoa14- Well I'm doing just fine, I'm glad to be back! I'm glad my writing seems to be still intact, thank you so much for pointing that out. It seems with the storms, I've just lost touchwith everything. That's why I'm trying to write this story, because I feel like it if I leave it alone, I may never come back to it. **_

_**Conaleigh Leonhart- You read all of them in one sit; I'm surprised your computer monitor isn't in love with you right now, lol. Thank you so much, and I will definitely keep writing!**_

_**Luis-Yeah, I thought about making them argue, but then I thought… "Well…Seifer's better than that." So…really, he gave Squall a 'warning' …lol… But I'm glad that I surprised you! I try not to make my stories too predictable at times. And please, thank you! I probably would've given up on this story a long time ago had it not been the encouragement from people like you, so please, it's my pleasure!**_

_**Blue-Yeah, Rori is so innocent! But…I think I've got something in store for her…just a little 'fun'! lol…Anyway, yeah, I know what you mean…I feel lazy sometimes too...and detached from everything around me, it's a weird feeling…but it still doesn't drive me to NOT read chapter 9, lol, I'm just kidding!**_

_**k-tea- lol, Yeah, it was sudden, wasn't it? I hope your heart was calmer this time around, thanks so much!**_

_**Optical Goddess- You sat down and read all of them in one sit too? O.O---hands her a seat cushion I'm so sorry that your bottom hurts, hehe! No worries about Squall not getting back, I took the liberty to actually knock some sense into him! Yay! But looks can be deceiving, he and Rinoa have a lot to talk about tonight, a LOT…lol**_

_**Pezjunkie13-lol, thank you very much. I still say that old show "In the heat of the Night" was going through my mind then, lol…so sorry I actually wrote it into the story, lol. And I am continuing, so please, feel free to point out anything else! **_

_**That's everyone? I think so… So once again, thanks everyone for taking the time to read, and or, review. So let me have it this time around, like it or hate it, no matter, I'm all ears…err…eyes! O.O **_

_**Thank you,**_

_**StardustRay**_


	12. Reflections of the Soul

_No, your eyes have not deceived you, this is a real update. _

_Good heavens, and I was talking about Squall…but where have **I** been? Have I abandoned you guys for four years, too! I'm living my own story! Sad… _

_Disclaimer: NO! I don't want to own Final Fantasy 8 or affiliates. …Right, this IS a disclaimer, is it not? And while I'm disclaiming, I just want to say that I'm still rusty, so give me a break. _

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_**Chapter 12: Reflections of a Soul**_

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"I _never_ stopped loving you…" He repeated, only this time his words were lighter, his voice softly caressing her ears with its masculinity. Rinoa closed her eyes and replayed his words again in her mind as Squall feathered her cheek with the tips of his fingers. She then brought her hand to cover his hand and worked her fingers between each of his. When his hand neared her mouth, she pressed a tender kiss on its surface.

A kiss would speak for all her inner sorrow. She had misjudged Squall all along, blaming him for an act he carried out one night and four years ago. He had kept to himself secrets so deep, so hurtful; wrongdoings that her father purposely committed just to get between their marriage. _Yes_, they were _both_ hurt by her father's acts, and now Rinoa would no longer allow Squall to carry _their_ burden. She would no longer allow him to take theblame for both of their faults. She felt just as guilty and sad as he had in all those four years, years that they would never get back. No matter how much they reminisced or complained, that time was no longer. It was no more. But his words—those simple words from his precious mouth, how they had provided a sense of comfort and security to her soul.

To think that he endured all the hurt and shame her father had wrought to their relationship; she was amazed at how long he had taken it all inside and hadn't once complained aloud.

Thinking back at every time her mind went idle, she would find herself wondering about Squall during those years. Rinoa knew she could no longer pretend to have so much pride pretending that she didn't need him. She could no longer hide behind Rori either, since the little girl _was_ her only excuse for sanity in their world.

Rinoa clung to the back of Squall's hand, opening her eyes to see his face. When she remembered those lonely years, steaming tears built up in her eyes. "…I," She murmured into his palm, "…I've missed you…"

The glimmer from the streetlights outside painted the walls of the room with patches of marble and clay, and had aligned with Squall's eyes, giving Rinoa a perfect view of his face. She saw that his eyes were opened; wide and focused--almost _daring_ her to speak. She missed the intrigue of his eyes and the way they had made her feel so important, so needed. Now they were _here_, giving her their _full_ attention. She couldn't begin to imagine how _long _she had waited for him to speak the truth, how long she waited for his complete openness; however, now that he had finally revealed the cause of his negligence, she felt clueless as to what she could possibly say to him next. As much as Rinoa wanted to share with him the words on her heart, she couldn't bear another word; her throat wouldn't allow any more. Alas, her eyes carried out where her mouth failed, and delivered a single tear that slid down her right cheek.

When Squall saw this, he moved his thumb over her jaw, wiping away the tear just as quickly as it had slipped down. "I…I'm sorry." He whispered, "…I never meant to hurt you…"

Rinoa quickly but gently placed her hands over his lips, smoothing them over with the tips of her fingers before he could say anymore. "…Stop apologizing about the past. I understand how you felt _now,_ and because of that, it's _me_ who should be apologizing."

She continued, removing her hand from his face, "…I thought for so long you were being selfish—that you grew bored of me and just decided to go elsewhere. …Squall, how could you…how could you go on to let me believe those bitter thoughts? I had truly started to hate you too. Why were you so afraid to speak? I thought we could talk about anything?"

"…I didn't want to get in between your relationship with your father. He was always there _showering_ you with gifts; gifts he knew I couldn't compete with…especially at _that_ time." He moved his hand away from her face and balled it into a fist. "I was so mad. I thought he was doing it all on purpose, that he wanted to make me look like I couldn't provide for you. I mean, it was obvious that he had disliked me from the very beginning." He sighed, "But I…I should've said something sooner. I just didn't know _what _to say to a man of his stature."

"…Squall, we could've said _no_."

"…But—"

"_No_…just because he gave us gifts doesn't mean we _had_ to accept them. I love my dad with all of my heart, but my heart belongs to _you_. We could've said _no_ to him just as easily as we said _yes_ and accepted those gifts."

Hearing those words, Squall could have laughed on the spot, but he bit back his tongue, "…You're saying that _now._" He muttered, his fist losing its aggressive form. "Back then, we were both naïve…I don't think we had what we have _now_."

Rinoa smirked, "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"…Backbone." He answered, catching her eyes once again in the dimness of the room. Her smile had illuminated his eyes more than the lights outside could ever light up in the natural.

"_Squall..._" She grinned; glad that they could both find humor in the situation. He was glad to see that her sadness had subsided in the meantime.

"Well it's _true_." He smiled. "…My first day back here, you were ready to bite my _head_ off." He quietly chuckled, consciously aware that Rori was still asleep in the room.

"I was _not_. You're lying."

"Come on, your first words to me were, '_I hate you!'"_

She laughed, "I didn't say _that_!"

"But you were _thinking_ it."

"Oh, _whatever_!" She folded her arms and turned her face away from his. "Look, I _know_ what happened that day, so I don't have to take this from _you_."

"And I know _you_ like a book. All I had to do was read what your body was saying…since you actually took off running _away_ from me." He inched closer to her, taking up what little space remained between them in the chair. It was _uncomfortable_. Rinoa, wondering what his schemes were this time, faced him—ready to tell him to back away, but he whispered, "I bet you're just _burning up_ with anger right now, right?" She immediately slapped his arm. "Ouch!"

"Shh, you're going to wake Rori."

"What nerve. You _slap_ me and expect me to be _quiet_. Anyway…I doubt that Rori would wake up now, it seems like she can sleep through anything." He said as he rubbed his arm in hopes of soothing away the pain that Rinoa had inflicted to it.

"And you know this _how_?" She asked, lifting a curious eyebrow.

"…When I came in earlier, I realized you were slightly awake, but Rori didn't even budge."

Rinoa smiled and placed her hands onto his arm, focusing on where she had slapped him and gave it a little rub herself, "Well you know…she gets it from _you_." With her words, he immediately felt his cheeks filling up with heat. Rinoa had then whispered, "…Stop blushing, Squall."

He gasped, realizing that Rinoa was just as good at reading him as he was at reading her. They were one in the same. As nature would have him, manly as males come, he _had _to defend himself and _quickly_, "I'm not blush—"

"Save it, will you? I'm tired of hearing your excuses." She said playfully, pulling her hands away from his arm and smiling. He let out a soft sigh, and nodded his head once. At that moment, he realized the peace they had both hoped for was once again restored between them. Almost restored to the way things used to be. Rinoa would no longer look to him as a deserter, and he could live on knowing that the past was behind them, that she might very well still love him the same as well.

Eventually, the two had eased back into the chair; Rinoa resting her top half into his chest and Squall sitting with one arm around her, his other hand's fingers stroked through her hair. His eyes searched the ceiling of the small room, its walls in a blur of pearly cream, as hazy as his thoughts of the night were so far.

Was he really there or had he been dreaming, asleep on the bus ride there? Was this night _truly_ happening?

Squall sighed, not sadly, but peacefully because inside everything felt as true as Rinoa sitting there with him, her fingers dancing on his chest projecting every weighting beat his heart would give. He had missed having her so close, holding on to her…

…He missed her _terribly_.

"…Squall…?" Her voice broke through the silence of the room.

"…Yeah?" He answered, wondering what would follow his name at such a peaceful time this night. There was a sense of dread grueling in the pit of his stomach, igniting a fear that she would speak of something that could ruin this moment forever.

"...When you left…back then…" She had almost stuttered. By then, he knew the question would be the beginning of the end. _This night is just too good to be true, please…God, don't let it end horribly like always…Please let me say the right thing._ "…Where…where…?"

She tried to continue, but he had already heard the question before she speak the rest, and opted to finish it for her instead, "Where did I go to?"

"Yes…" She said, her fingers ending their routines across his shirt.

"Well…" _Does she really want to know? …That's right. Four years…it's such a long time to not say anything at all. If I were in her place, I'd want to know too, right? _"…Let's see…" Inside, he was begging that God would give him the right words to say.

"Is it possible that you could forget over time? I mean, I'm not expecting you to remember _everything_."

"…The first year's a little fuzzy, but to tell you the truth, all that time—it went by so fast. I'm not even sure how I got around." He paused, "…I was feeling so guilty about everything that I…I didn't get to enjoy all my so called freedom. My mind constantly replayed what had happened, again and again… There was no escape."

Rinoa raised her head to meet his eyes as he looked downward to her, looking up to him from her place on his chest, "…You were living in the past, _too_?"

"_Too…? _What do you mean?" He frowned, his eyes questioning her tone.

"…Don't look at me like that. You don't think I had a hard time…?" She turned her eyes to the floor, "…I was scared, thinking that something had happened to you. I called the police the next day, explained what happened, _when_ and _how_ you left. I was so nervous for you and stressed, that my body weakened…" She sighed, "When the policeman I had spoken to came back to me and told me they hadn't found you, or learned of your whereabouts, I lost it. It was when that they told me you had most likely taken off on your own. That's when I…I collapsed."

Rinoa clenched her hands together, pressing her fingernails deep into the backs of them both, "…I woke up in the hospital soon after, not even certain what was going on. I just remember lying in bed thinking about all the terrible things I said or did to you while we were still together. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that it was my fault to blame, that _I_ drove you away. I had suffered fatigue, and was so stressed out that the doctors ran all kinds of tests on me trying to figure out what was wrong. Later on, they told me about a certain activity happening inside me…"

"…That you were pregnant…?"

"Yeah…but it wasn't exactly good news at that moment. I was sad that I risked putting Rori's life in danger." She finally collected her eyes' attention from the floor and brought them back to Squall, "...I was so miserable…" She confessed, "…especially during the months of my pregnancy…I didn't know if I could make without you Squall." She sniffled. "…If it hadn't have been for the others…I don't know what would've happened to me. …Everything would've been fine if you—"

"Don't say it… I don't even want to think about life had I stayed. I understand I put you through the worst circumstances imaginable with my disappearance, but that doesn't mean everything would've been fine had I stayed around. …Listen to me, Rin, I was going _insane_. I was a prisoner to my own thoughts. A person like that could _never _help to raise a kid. Sure, I would've been there in the flesh, but my mind would be elsewhere. I could've definitely become the negligent father we _both_ fear." He grabbed her hands and pulled them to his face, "I know it sounds _wrong_, and it's going to hurt to hear it as much as it hurts for me to say it, but…I _needed_ to get away."

She glared at him, "You sure don't _sound _hurt."

"_Please," _He pleaded, "just let me admit it _now_. If I don't explain, I may never get to tell you again. I don't want to look back and think about what should have been done or what could have _been_… I just want to get it out of the way. I want to start over from scratch, _if_ you would let me…?" She hadn't answered, she was still sitting there with the same hardened eyes she had given him moments before. Realizing the only way to break the glare was by clarifying his actions, he chose to follow through, "…When I was out there, on my own, I had the chance to find myself again. I left Balamb and took the train to Timber. My dad has old friends there and I stayed with them for awhile. One day, they were talking about visiting him because it had been so long since they all went out together, but the last person I wanted to see was my father. I felt that if I saw him, it would be like looking into a mirror. I _knew_ he wouldn't _scold_ me, but rather _commend_ me for my decision. He probably would laud me for what I did to _you_."

As he talked, Squall noticed Rinoa's eyes had gradually softened up more and more. He decided to relax his shoulders into the chair. As long as Rinoa saw him sitting completely up and tensed, she would not settle down either. So as he rested his back against the cushion of the chair, he pulled her whole being onto his body once again. Rinoa hadn't put up a fight; instead, she allowed her head to rest on him once more, marveling at the sound of his heart beating inside of his chest. She was silent, but nervous, nervous for his words, fearing that he might say something that would haunt her mind later on. Nevertheless, she continued to listen. She trusted him, right?

And Squall had continued with a smile, glad to see she hadn't rejected his mannerism. He continued, "I decided to leave Timber after that. I told them to make no mention of me to my father because I would see him on my own time. After they agreed, I wondered about where I could go next… I knew Deling was _the_ place to be for a man who wanted the world, but then I knew I would undoubtedly run into _your_ parents… So I changed my mind. That's when I read an ad in the paper stating that there were all sorts of jobs and opportunities in Fisherman's Horizon."

Rinoa almost laughed, "Don't tell me you became a fisherman…"

"No, not really…but I learned a lot about the boats that were made there." He smirked, knowing she probably still found humor in his situation. Maybe it was to defend himself or maybe he wanted to make her smile again? Either way, he wanted to impress her with the skills he had picked up over time, including some useless knowledge about the lives of those who were permanent residents at FH. "I stayed in FH for a long time, working on boats and fixing engines. I even got to meet this old man there; he was supposedly the _greatest_ fishermen at FH. …I really looked up to that guy." He said, his voice fading off as he made mention of the old man. "Anyway, he basically taught me everything I know about engines, whether it's a boat's or car's engine, no matter…I learned about it all from him. He sure loved to talk a lot, too." Squall added, making Rinoa giggle. He felt her rubbing her face into his chest like she would do before when they'd watch television together on slow nights.

He sighed blissfully to himself before continuing, "Yeah…he _loved_ to talk. You know, it's funny. Somehow…it was like he could see right through my charade. I was always quiet around everyone, just putting my job before anything and everything else. One day he marched right up to me and said, 'there's no way a good-looking kid like you can go through life alone.' I pretended to be uninterested so he would leave me alone, but afterwards, I would go home and look at the ring you gave to me." He lifted his hand slightly so she could see the wedding band. "It reminded me of _who_ I had left back at home…every single day."

He studied the ring again and muttered, "I just…I _wanted_ to come back…but I just didn't know what to say to you, and by this time, two years had passed. …I was trying to think of what to say, how I could possibly restore the damage that I did to you."

"…How about 'I'm Sorry'?" Rinoa said, clasping her hand with his and fingering the wedding band.

"It's easier said than done. What _would_ you have said if I were gone for just a year or two? You already said it yourself: _Sorry_ can't take away any pain."

"…I know I was wrong too…but…" She fell silent.

"Rinoa…we can't change the past. We can't even place what we might've wanted to say in place of what was already said."

"…You're right." She then snuggled closely onto him, urging him to continue. "So how was it?"

"FH? ...FH is a pretty big place, but the population is so small that everyone knows each other there. They'll throw parties if the fishermen met their quota before the deadline, and celebrate anniversaries and events of things that aren't even known nationally. The people there, it's their own little world, and they were like…well almost like family, a large family that I never got to have when growing up. It was really…it was really something." Now his eyes had wandered off, dancing with the figures of his past perhaps?

"The _people _of Fisherman's Horizon…? _Parties_…?" Rinoa sighed, knowing that her next question would indeed stir their mood. "…You didn't _meet_ anyone there, did you?"

She was surprised to find how silent he had become in just the short time of her asking. "Squall…? _Did you_?"

"…I was forced to go to one of the parties. They wanted to recognize me for pulling off an act…"

"…An act?"

"There was a bad storm out at sea. Things weren't looking too good, so I helped out, and that's all."

"…C'mon Squall, you don't have to beat around the bush. Just tell me."

"…It's nothing, really." He lied again. She pinched his arm, exacting damage to the same place she had slapped him earlier, "Oww…_okay_…The crewmen's engine blew out, so a few other guys and I took a smaller boat to get everybody to safety."

"So you saved someone's life?"

"…It doesn't need to be exaggerated, but yeah…I saved their lives."

"Squall, that's _wonderful_…why _wouldn't_ you want to be recognized for that accomplishment?" She proclaimed, but Squall desperately avoided her eyes.

"…It's not the rescue that troubles me, it's what happened at the _party_ that makes me sick." He brought his hand to his hair, rubbing the strands back from his forehead; wearing his nervousness like a glove. "You're right, I _did _meet someone. This woman and I…we, well, we got a little too close to one another and before I knew it, we were at her place."

Rinoa rose from his chest and asked what little her voice could support, "Did you…?" She tried to squeeze out the words for herself, but Squall knew exactly what she was aiming to say.

"…No…we didn't." He had answered, shaking his head slowly from side to side.

"…Well then… _why_…why say something like that…? I thought for sure--"

"…She had long black hair and was about your size. Rin…right before anything _happened_…I called her by your name." He had gently eased from her grip and stood on his feet away from the chair. He couldn't bear to face her. Admitting what actually happened that night was harder than he had previously assumed. "…She was so upset… She shoved me out screaming and swearing at me, but who could really blame her? Then I thought about you. I thought if I gone home then, how would you react to me? Would you be the same as her?"

He sighed, "…The next day, the old man came and had a long talk with me. I didn't tell him about _us_, about what I had done…but it was like he already knew. He told me that I shouldn't run away from my past. That whatever it was that happened, I should go back and face it." Squall scratched the back of his head, his eyes falling upon Rori's little figure on the bed, and he smiled. "…Not a day went by that I didn't think about what he had said to me that night. Before I knew it…I was back on a train…coming home."

Rori's little body stirred for a second, probably sensing that someone was nearby. It was then that Squall silenced himself, where she relaxed back into her sleeplike state. He then wondered how everything could have turned out had he stayed behind as Rinoa suggested before. He knew he shouldn't have thought about the outcome, but for Rori's sake, it was worth the wondering effort. Would he really have turned out to be the negligent father that he and Rinoa both _feared above everything else_? Just one look at Rori and there was a slight possibility that things may have been _alright _by him. Who could ever turn away from a face so adorable?

But then…what would happen if he ever did anything to hurt that face, make her cry?

Suddenly, he felt a pair of warm hands slide over his back and onto his stomach. Rinoa had joined him, watching Rori sleeping peacefully on the white hospital bed. He would turn to meet Rinoa's eyes, but he was caught up in the sight of Rori. He smiled, knowing he could never tire of watching his daughter take her tiny breaths in the huge world around her.

"…Rinoa….does she really sleep soundly like me?" He whispered, resting his palm over her hand. She smiled; her eyes like his, never leaving the sight of Rori and returned his whisper. She softly answered his question with another, "…Why don't you find out for yourself?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Just as the sunlight peaked into the room, Rori woke up, rubbing her eyes with her right hand and scanning the room for Rinoa. She stopped instantly, coming across two bodies in the big chair: One belonged to her mother, and the other to her…well…_Squall._ They were asleep; Rinoa lying on his chest and Squall with his face against the chair's side. They seemed to be watching the same star.

Rori smiled, because it looked like there were grins on both their faces. She had never seen her mother happier than in that time in her sleep. Rori looked once more, and then lied back into her place in bed. The image of the happy pair had gracefully eased to a peaceful slumber.

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"Yes m'am, little Miss Rori can be released today." A lively little nurse with a button nose told Rinoa has she read from a long checklist of sicknesses that Rori hadn't become victim to.

Morning had finally come, and Squall quickly discovered how Rinoa kept herself so fresh each time he had come to visit: the secret to her freshness was the supply of kiddy goodies, a well thought of supply basket filled with everything appropriate for keeping the body healthy. Of course, it wasn't much, but there were at least 5 spare packaged toothbrushes clipped together, along with a small tube of peppermint toothpaste that Squall was superbly thankful for.

He stayed inside the bathroom for awhile as Rinoa had talked with the nurse, feeling unwelcome when it came to the news of Rori's status in the hospital. It was one thing learning that the girl would be fine, but when he couldn't pitch in and compare how she might have looked or felt before the accident, he felt useless.

"_Thank you_!" He could hear Rori exclaim in the next room.

"_Now I'll be right back, so sit tight and we'll have you signed out in just a minute, doesn't that sound good?"_

"_What! I get to go home now?"_ The little girl asked, barely able to remain calm.

"_That's right, but let me bring this back to the other room first, okay Cutie Pie?"_

He heard Rori's giggling before a forced, _"O-kay!"_

"_She's so adorable."_ The nurse said, and then he heard door to Rori's room opening.

"_Thank you."_ Rinoa's muffled reply signaled that the nurse had finally stepped outside of the room.

After rinsing his mouth, Squall peaked out of the bathroom and looked at Rinoa, "Good news?"

"Yeah, we're about to be set free." Rinoa laughed, picking up Rori from the bed. Squall watched as the little girl's feet wrapped around her mother's waist. "We can't wait to go home, right Rori?"

"Right!" Rori agreed, squeezing her arms around her mother's shoulders.

"Well, that's good to hear. You _have_ been trapped inside this place for about a week, eh?" He said as he emerged fully from the bathroom, wiping his face and hands on a napkin.

"Pretty much, and I just can't wait to sleep in my own bed for a change."

"Me too!" Rori shouted, but she continued in a not-so-amused way from her pouted cheeks, "The walls are starting to look _funny_." Squall laughed.

His laughter was soon interrupted by the door opening when an older woman entered the room. She was wearing a navy blue pant suit, and her dark hair was slicked back into a donut shape knot that sloped just above her shoulders. If her appearance hadn't been intimidating enough, her great glower at the couple would more than make up for the job. She then turned her eyes to Rori, where a slight frown emerged for the child's sake.

The little nurse returned to the room, with a forced smile and signaled for Rinoa, who had faced Squall the second the older woman had stepped into their room, to move toward her at that time. Squall saw Rinoa's mental question but he could only shrug his shoulders.

"Mrs. Leonhart?" The mean looking woman asked as her smoldering eyes turned into gentle smiles.

"…Yes?"

"My name is Dr. Kadowaki, and I'm here to ask Rori a few questions if you don't mind."

"…What kind of questions?—"

"Mrs. Leonhart, would you please follow me? I'll tell you everything outside." The nurse spoke, urging Rinoa to follow her with a tug on her sleeve.

"I'm sorry. I really don't understand what's going on." Rinoa held on to Rori, pushing the girl's face into the cushion of her upper arm. She faced the nurse, who was staring at her with a frown.

"Please listen to me, ma'am, this will only take a second. Sir, would you—"

Squall nodded to the nurse, understanding that she couldn't help the situation any more than he could, so he paced toward Rinoa and placed his hand on her shoulder trying to cooperate with the nurse, "I understand. Rin…let's…"

Seeing that Squall had trusted the nurse and the older woman, Rinoa reluctantly joined him. "….Fine…" She sighed; unwrapping Rori's legs and placing the girl back onto the bed. Rori's smile had faded away, disappointed that her mother and _dear friend_ were being asked to leave the room; nevertheless, Rinoa gave her a bright smile, "Wait here sweetie; mommy will be right back, okay?"

"…Okay." Rori responded unsurely. The girl had no idea if she should be happy or scared for her mother.

Rori grabbed her legs and pulled them to her chest as she watched all of the adults leave the room. Inside, she knew something was not right, but she also knew that her mother would be back briefly. As long as her mom would come back for her, Rori knew that everything would be all right.

Outside, the older woman gave full and appropriate title, "…I am Dr. Kadowaki, and I am working with the hospital about special cases."

"Special cases? What do you mean?" Rinoa asked, folding her arms.

"Mrs. Leonhart…it's about the accident that landed your daughter here… The fact that she was struck by a car during a thunderstorm—"

"_Excuse_ me?"

"—Strikes not only me but a few others as irresponsible parenting, so I would like to question your daughter about what happened that night. It seems that we have a possible case of child abuse."

"How _dare _you! You have no right to come here and accuse me of abusing MY daughter! Who do you think you are!" Rinoa yelled, moving into the woman's personal space.

The doctor hadn't moved. She stayed in her place and warned Rinoa quietly. "Calm down, ma'am."

"I will _not_ calm down! I can't believe this!"

"Rinoa." Squall grabbed Rinoa's arms and pulled her back so that he was right behind her.

"Children are special…and if I find that you did one thing to hurt that child. I'll have her taken away from you by the end of this very day." Kadowaki spat, and walked around them to enter Rori's room.

Rinoa tried desperately to break free from Squall, but he held his grip on her shoulders and forced her to stay put. "Squall! Squall, let me go! She's trying to take Rori away!"

He hadn't said anything, only held her there until she calmed down. "How can you just stand here and do nothing! God!" She broke free from his grasp and marched up the hallway.

"Rinoa, Rin _wait_!"

"No!" She stopped her mad run and faced him, anger still gushing from her jaws, "Why should I _wait for you_!" She paced toward him, pointing her index finger directly at his soul, "You have no right to just stand there and let them do this to _us!_ She's as much as _yours_ just as she is _mine_; the least you could do is _admit_ it!"

Rinoa turned away from him, lowering her voice, "…I'm sorry, Squall, but if you're not going to stand up for us, for your _family_, then I don't see why you should be here either."

She flung dagger through his heart, but he steadied himself by swallowing his breath slowly. Rinoa was angry, angry at Dr. Kadowaki, at the world, and at _him_. Whatever he said now would only make him the enemy further, so for Rori's sake, he decided to keep quiet.

Yes, she was still there glaring at him with vein red eyes, her body in a stance that claimed dominance over _everything_, but Squall hadn't shown fear. He simply bit his bottom lip and walked around her. He didn't even give her eye contact.

"I see you're off again." She stated, folding her arms. "And where are you going _this_ time?"

He held his breath, focusing on passing her. He _wanted_ to say that she was overreacting, but that would not sit still with Rinoa. To say anything to a woman about the way she 'acted' is never a good idea. Rinoa, for instance, would _drag_ the situation to a new dimension. So when asked where he was going, Squall replied peacefully, "…Getting coffee."

"…_Coffee_? You want _coffee_, _now!"_ She turned to him in disgust, "How can you want something to drink at a time like this? I can't believe you!"

He smiled calmly, saying coolly, "…You want some?"

"…You're serious?"

"All she'll do is ask Rori a few questions about you and that'll be that."

"But what about the car…?"

"…Rinoa, you're a great mom, and Rori's an honest kid. Don't let that _Kado-_whatever get to you. You'll just have to trust Rori."

When she took time to realize Squall was right, her temper had subsided. She marveled at how easily his words could melt away her anxieties. "…I guess you're right then." She mumbled followed by a quiet sigh. Rinoa wondered if she should apologize? But there was no way _sorry_ could take back the entire stunt she pulled. "Squall, I'm…"

Even in a forced effort, the words just wouldn't come.

Finally, turning her attention to the coffee cart a ways down the hall, she smiled, "...Coffee?"

And he returned her gesture, a relaxed smile across his own mouth. "…After you."

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_**Mumbo Jumbo from the Author's Grumble:**_

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_**Thanks everyone for taking the time! If I screwed up big time, let me know! I am open to all feedback, so let me have it. It'll just go through one ear and out of the other, lol, I'm just kidding around. Tell me what you think!**_

_**And thanks to everyone left a review over that long time period. I'll reply to your reviews in my next update, okay? I haven't forgotten anyone or left anyone out, you see? **_

_**I'm not one for complaining anymore…although; it took a lot out of me to get this chapter up. (I have the right to admit that statement, right? I hope so!) **_

_**I feel bad about abandoning this story after all that mess happened, but I feel like I should at least try and finish what I've started for you guys, and kinda for the sake of my motto. **_

**_I'm sure I had review replies ready, but it's been so long since I've tackled this story, whereas…I just sort of…forgot. No, I didn't forget about you guys, but I forgot what I wanted to say, as per usual. So forgive me! _**

_**The End is Nigh! Yay! I'll finally have finished the story and then I can go on a serious vacation! Woo! **_

_**What do you say? No more Drama! **_

_**StardustRay- I'll probably go through each of my stories and expose worthless typos and bad grammar, so in the meantime, work with me, lol! Sorry!**_

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	13. My Friend

_Disclaimer: I've issued a petition that we're paid to write for FF8, who's with me? LoL, that'll be the day! Just like I'm not getting paid for this , I don't own FF8, sorry!_

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**_Chapter 13: The Deal Amongst Friends_**

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Inside the tension filled, close-quartered hospital room, Rori sat at the edge of her tall bed with her feet dangling at its end. She wondered why the woman seated before her had asked her mother to leave the room. Obedient as ever, Rori carried out her mother's wishes: To stay inside the room and behave. Doing so, however, meant that she would endure most of this time listening to the doctor speaking in a _very slow way,_ as though every word would not register correctly to Rori's young mind. 

Kadowaki understood the little girl to be three years old, but she had no idea how articulate Rori actually was. She expected to have a young abandoned girl, so alone that she couldn't speak for herself or chose to maybe not even speak at all. It was a documented fact that troubled children usually smiled the least compared to children with normal upbringing. To Dr. Kadowaki, there was nothing worse than an unsmiling child. Because of her belief, she took her career _very_ seriously. She admitted when walking into Rori's room for the first time and noticing the two adults inside with her, Rori's face seemed to be exactly as she had expected; the girl was pouting and looked as sad as an abused child who expects or wants for nothing would appear.

Even though she saw that Rinoa was holding on to her and showing _some_ affection, it wouldn't be enough to convince the feisty old woman that the entire accident was an _accident _after all. Fact: Parents can pretend that their lives are perfect whenever out in public's view, but behind closed doors in the comfort of their homes, their lives aren't perfect and their attitudes toward their children are completely reprehensive. Again, Rinoa might _look_ like a very good mother, but Rori could be a product of a dysfunctional household, considering that Kadowaki had heard about Rinoa's arguments right in the halls of the_ hospital _the past days! So _who knew_ what would happen when that same 'innocent' woman went _home _with Rori!

Kadowaki's mind roared with sympathy for Rori. _I've got to get this girl into a home where she is loved and not just abandoned out in the street to be struck by a car! _

Finally, she cleared her throat and began her questioning, "…Rori, I'm your friend. You can tell me anything you want, okay? I'm here to help you." Kadowaki said as she pulled her chair close to Rori's bedside. Rori stared at her quizzically for a moment before she smiled and replied, "Okay!"

"Here's a question I know you'll like to answer. When is your birthday?"

Rori cheered, "Oou, in four months!"

"Really? How _exciting_! What are you going to do for fun—Get some cake and ice cream?"

"Mommy won't tell me. She said it's a surprise!"

"Oh, a _surprise,_ I bet you can't wait for that."

"Nope." The little girl said, shaking her head furiously from side to side.

"Alright Rori," The doctor started, wearing her serious face, "…Now…are there times when you feel sad?"

The little girl's eyes had saddened. How could she go from one exciting topic to another that completely _kills_ the atmosphere? "…I don't know…_I guess_." She tried to answer, her kiddy voice like music to the ears of Kadowaki.

"Tell me…why do you get sad?" She had asked, opening her notebook to a fresh page.

"…I don't know." Rori answered, scratching around the bandage on her forehead.

"Does your mom make you sad?"

Rori laughed, "No! Mommy likes playing games with me!"

"Really? What kind of games do you play?" This time, the old doctor pushed her pen to the paper, preparing herself to scribble in some notes.

"…Well…hide and seek!" Of course this game would make the list. It might have been the only game Rori could remember to tell every adult that asked which game was her favorite. Then again, it was the only game with a proper title. She certainly couldn't think of a name to say about '_Miss Tickles_.'

"_Hide and seek_! Yes, I think everyone loves hide and seek!" She said, faking Rori's enthusiasm so she could break down more of her defenses.

"Yep! It's my fav-or-ite!" She said, ensuring that every syllable was pronounced correctly.

"You know Rori, is there something your mom does that…bothers you?"

Rori's enthusiasm died down, "…_Bothers_ me?" Once again, she noted the woman had asked something that would slaughter the wave of fun Rori found when talking with her.

"…Do you ever feel like something is _wrong_."

"…Oh…" She mouthed, her eyes searching the walls on her right for an answer. Rori felt whenever her mom was not feeling well, she could tell just by looking at her eyes that Rinoa had been crying. Once, in the middle of playing around the house, she remembered Rinoa's eyes had filled with tears that rushed like rivers down her cheeks. Rori watched her mother run into the bathroom, and come out a few moments later in an attempt to carry on, but the sadness was still there; still eating away at her soul. "…Sometimes, mommy gets sad."

"…Is that true…? _How_ sad?" Kadowaki softened her voice, trying to win over Rori's trust.

Rori whispered as though revealing a terrible secret, "…She cries."

"Really? About what?" The doctor inquired, scribbling down unreadable characters into her notebook which Rori had taken an interest in. What could she have possibly been writing down that entire time? Was something happening to her mom, was that why she wanted to know so much about her?

Rori was lost in confusion.

"...Is she okay?" The girl asked, gripping the sheets that lay across her bed.

"Oh yes, Rori, your mother is just fine. I'm trying to understand what happened to you on that day you came here, to the hospital."

"…The ax-acci-"

"Yes, the accident. _Very good_, Rori." Kadowaki managed a true smile for a change.

"…Thank you." Rori responded, unsure if she could believe _anything_ the woman would say to her further.

Understanding that Rori thought too highly of her mother, Dr. Kadowaki decided to keep the concentration on _how_ she had wound up in the hospital. "Tell me what happened to you, Rori."

Rori only stared at her. She didn't remember _everything_ that had happened, but she remembered what happened up until she was hit by the car. The real question was: Should she _tell _the nosy old woman or wait for her mother to come to the rescue? They waited in silence for some time before Rori finally gave in and began to tell her what came to mind on that day.

Meanwhile, down the corridor from Rori's room, Squall stood beside Rinoa sipping his coffee as she was speaking into the telephone, "Quistis, I need your help. …Can you stop by again? It's _really_ important."

"_Sure, but is Rori okay?" _Quistis' voice sounded through the phone.

"Oh, yeah, Rori's doing great, but it's about the hospital. They're giving me a bit of trouble. You see, they're suspicious about Rori's accident, and now a doctor is inside with Rori, questioning her about what happened…" She could take a guess what was going on inside the room, since she merely repeated Squall's idea and improvised from there in.

"_Rinoa, that woman has no right to intrude—as your attorney, I—" _She sighed, and said finally, "_I'm on my way!" _And with that, Quistis terminated the line. Rinoa wondered if it was a good idea to tell her the situation so soon. For all she knew about Quistis' driving, the woman could've been a maniac on the highway when the situation threatened the _Law_.

She sighed, placing the phone back onto its hook.

Squall, pulling the cup away from his mouth, had asked, "…Well?"

"_Well_… She's on her way here now." She answered unsurely. Who could tell if it were good news or a tragedy waiting to happen?

"That's good then. Quistis is your lawyer, isn't she? We'll know how far we can allow that doctor to go--where her boundaries are, at least."

"Yeah…" Rinoa said, staring down into the surface of her cold coffee that sat on the small table. She took a deep breath and reached for her own cup in hopes that it would warm the coldness in her heart. Her cold heart was directed toward the woman questioning her daughter at the moment. Rinoa couldn't even begin to imagine what was happening inside the room where Rori was being interrogated. It was almost like an excerpt from an old suspense novel where the innocent man was blamed and interrogated for hours at a time like a criminal: Closed doors, blinds drawn, one on one conversation, _I wonder if she using a spotlight? _Rinoa thought to herself, feeling a smile spread across her lips. _That's ridiculous…who am I kidding? Dr. Kadowaki would probably use chains…_

Squall was there still, watching her amuse herself. He wanted to jump in and ask what was so funny, but just watching Rinoa grin was more than entertaining. As long as she smiled, he felt that tranquility as well. It was the promise he had made to himself _before _about not being satisfied until Rinoa was satisfied, and if she ever wanted for anything, anything at all, no matter what the cost, he would do what he could to supply.

"Squall…?" She asked, interrupting his muse. He noticed her eyes had never left their marks across the quartered waiting room.

"…Hmm?" He muffled, bringing the cup to his mouth quickly to hide the fact that he had been staring at her.

"…I don't think I could've gone through any of this if you weren't here with me. I..." She paused, facing him slowly with a warm smile. "…Thank you…so much."

He grinned, placing the cup onto the table from whence it came. "You really don't have to _thank me_, besides… I _should_ be here. I'm only getting a taste of how you've lived so far."

She laughed, squeezing her index finger and thumb together, "…Yeah, an itty bitty taste."

Squall smirked at her sarcasm, and brought his voice down to a whisper, "…I bet the whole deal isn't all that bad either."

Rinoa's laughter had ended immediately. She returned his smile warmly, saying nothing in return; instead, she leaned forward onto his chest and heaved a mollifying sigh. All she wanted was to be close to him again, as near as he would allow her to be. That was all she ever really wanted from the beginning, even if she _had_ come off as _independent._

He could express the same feeling with his silence as well. Squall wanted to be forgiven for his past choices. Anything he could do to compensate for the lost time, he was willing. When feeling Rinoa leaning onto him, he would cease the moment, but before Squall could keep her there longer, the nurse's voice tore through his act, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, Dr. Kadowaki should be concluding her time now. I just thought you should know that." The kind nurse said. Rinoa stepped back from Squall's warmth.

"Thank you. I'm really glad." Rinoa managed, speaking as she turned her full attention to the little nurse.

"Don't mention it." The woman said, turning away, but she stopped in the midst of her leaving and faced Rinoa again while raising a finger, "Oh, and putting all things aside, Mrs. Leonhart, I really don't believe you would do such a thing to your daughter. That little girl is just too sweet a child to have something terrible like that happen to her _intentionally_."

"Exactly." Rinoa smiled, touching the nurse's shoulder. "She's all I have." The young woman blurted suddenly.

Squall's eyes had immediately hit the floor. He rubbed the back of his neck as the two women began to head for Rori's room together. He knew Rinoa hadn't meant her words to sound so literal, but hearing her speak such a thing had given him a stubborn blow to the heart. _…She's all we have, that's what she meant, right? Of course that's what she meant, what have you got to think about? Just stop thinking, Squall…_

He consoled himself, fearing that his coaching had gone through one ear and out of the other. The fact that he had thought of it meant that somewhere in his heart, doubt still lurked. The fear and doubt still remained in his heart, but how?

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"So your mother was yelling and when she yelled at _you_, you ran away." Kadowaki said, recapping what was said by Rori moments before. 

"…Yeah."

"Rori…you know…its not good to run away from your parents, sweetheart. They love you."

"I know." The girl replied, looking down into the palm of her hands that had now rested in her lap. "…I thought she was mad at me."

"…Has she tried to hurt you?"

"Tried to hurt me?" Rori repeated the question to herself, looking up to the doctor as she began answering. "No! My mom _never_ hurts me—is mommy in trouble!" The girl asked, drawing a horrible conclusion that she would never again see Rinoa.

"Rori, listen to me, I'm only trying to see how you got injured. That's all."

What did the old woman mean? What was going on around her? Why on earth was she separated from Rinoa! With the room growing smaller by the second, Rori felt trapped within the four walls. So many questions with answers that never seemed to satisfy the doctor, Rori was growing impatient. She was waiting for the door to open again. Waiting for her mother to run back inside, grabbing her and holding her, telling her every would be alright. But it never happened.

Rori felt a sting in her eyes, a familiar sting; one that would come whenever she pinched her skin between her fingernails to see if she were dreaming. What if something terrible happened to Rinoa? Would she need to be hospitalized too? The mere thoughts of the child were growing with anticipation and despair. Why wouldn't the answer come soon? Why weren't _her_ questions being answered! Was anyone paying attention to her at all? Finally, Rori screamed, "I don't know! I don't know what happened! Why do you keep asking me that! I want my mommy! I want my mommy!" Rori squealed in a heap of heated tears.

"Oh, no, no, don't cry! Rori!" Dr. Kadowaki reacted, realizing that Rori was telling the truth all along. The girl couldn't possibly hold back incriminating evidence on Rinoa's behalf, could she? That meant that Rinoa _was_ a good mother who would protect her child from _whatever _she possibly could, and that Rori was a victim of a _freak accident_.

When the doctor finally realized she was making a terrible mistake, she felt _horrible!_ "My dear, I'm sorry!" Kadowaki said, standing from her seat and pulling Rori's head into her bosom. She knew exactly how to deal with kids, filled with her own knowledge from raising kids of her own. "Wait, I'll go and get your mother for you, okay?"

"…Wha—?" Rori said with a sniffle, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as Kadowaki stooped from the bedside and headed to the door.

As the door to Rori's room finally opened, Rinoa had placed a hand over her heart and sighed to herself. Yes, the doctor had emerged, but Rori was not behind her. Everyone standing out in the hallway had heard whimpering following the woman as she exited. Rinoa's sigh had immediately become a gasp. She grabbed the shirt over her chest and glowered at Dr. Kadowaki. "What did you _do _to my child_!"_

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Leonhart." She said, sliding the notebook that was in her hand underneath her arm.

Because of her mannerism, Rinoa expected the news to be bad. She had folded her arms and lifted an eyebrow. Kadowaki saw this and frowned. "I understand how you must feel right now, that's why I have nothing more to say than that I understand this situation was completely misunderstood…"

Rinoa's tension had somehow shriveled, and she unfolded her arms. At first she was ready to make the doctor wish she had never stepped onto their floor, but now she was willing to hear the old woman through.

Just as Kadowaki was about to begin speaking again, Squall stepped between the two women and said, "…I don't mean to be rude, but could I possibly go inside and see her?"

He had said, speaking as concerned as any father would about his daughter.

"Sure." The doctor answered, allowing him to pass when she sidestepped out of his way. For a mere second, Rinoa felt butterflies in her stomach just by watching him head into the room. She was proud of him and nervous at once. She had wanted to follow him inside, but the doctor began to speak to her again.

Rinoa was not the only person to see Squall entering the room, but Quistis as well. She wondered if her imagination was playing tricks with her mind, or was there crying from the room he had just entered. Before she could investigate further, Rinoa had caught her attention with a wave of her hand, calling the young attorney down the corridor to Rori's room. She knew what she had to do. Still under the impression that Rinoa was in trouble, Quistis felt a burning surge of anger strike down into the pits of her soul. Not wanting to go overboard and yell at the woman for trying to take Rori away from her lovely mother, Quistis prepped herself to represent her client to the fullest.

When he entered the room, Rori was faced toward the chair with her back to the door. She had immediately turned around thinking that Rinoa would be there to hold her, but when she saw Squall, she was disappointed. She liked her new friend, but she needed her _mother._

"Where's mommy?" Rori asked, the cheerlessness of her voice sinking through the depths of his heart.

"She's…She's outside." He said as he began to take a step toward her.

"Squall…I'm _scared_." She whined, "Nobody wants to tell me..." Rori rubbed her eyes to rid them of the sting that came with her tears.

Squall approached the bed slowly, carefully thinking of what he should say. He wasn't the best comforter, but he tried as best as he could to cheer her up.

"Hey…" He whispered, walking around the bed to see her face again. He adored her, even in her sadness. Though it was heartbreaking that she was sad, she looked so adorable, but he loved her even more when she _smiled_. In that instant, he forgot all about what he could or couldn't do, and reached for Rori as she sat on the bed. He brought her petite body into a full embrace, and marveled how she had wrapped her arms around his neck so naturally, just as she had with Rinoa. Rori cuddled her face in the nape of his neck as he whispered in a voice that caressed the sensors across her face, "Don't cry…please don't cry, sweetheart." He said, rubbing his hand over her back, "Your mom is right outside the door, she's just talking with the doctor who spoke with you, that's all."

The more he comforted her, the more he could feel her cries coming to an end. She hadn't said anything, only allowed him to make her feel safe and secure.

"Everything's alright." He said, moving his head onto hers with a sigh, "…It's okay." He had continued to comfort her while pacing the floor slowly. He didn't want to put her down, it was the first time he had ever held her at all. And he stood there, holding on to her little body, wishing he could make every pain go away, that he could've been there since the moment of her birth, wishing that he could've watched her take her first steps. At that moment, his eyes had watered, and he moved his hand to her hair that rested along her back. When she sniffled a few times, Squall said finally, "It's alright…daddy's gotcha."

Walking back and forth across the room became relaxing to them both, and soon, Rori had stopped crying all together. She was still holding on to him, not wanting him to put her down or leave. She looked around the room in a daze, still sniffling occasionally.

Apparently, his words went over her head. Either she hadn't heard him, or the feeling was so natural that the news hadn't surprised her. _'Daddy's gotcha'…_ Slowly, she rose from his shoulder and looked into his eyes, placing both hands on his upper arms to support her. Rori stared at him, in shock but expressionless.

"…Rori…aren't you going to say something?" He asked; his voice still in a whisper.

And she stared. She was staring into the eyes of her father, realizing that her connection with him was true. They were blue for a reason! Then the little girl smiled, "…I _knew it_!"

"Huh?" Squall questioned, staring at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"…I saw you kiss mommy at our house." She had said quietly, as though spilling the secret of the millennium.

"What?—when…_how?_" He tried to ask, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a _secret_! I saw it through the window!" The window of secrets as usual; every time there was a visitor that Rinoa had spoken with outside, she saw everything by peeking out of the window. Although busted on more than a few occasions, she couldn't get enough. It was fun to spy on her mother engaging in conversations with strangers. Upon seeing her mother become a little too friendly with the brown haired man, she drew the conclusion that there was something more to him. Rori had never seen Rinoa kiss Seifer, and so the little girl just figured Seifer was a good friend to Rinoa, nothing more, platonic… "Don't tell her I said it, though! I'll get in trouble."

"… I won't tell if you won't." He said with a grin, thinking back to the only day he had gotten a kiss from Rinoa. The day she begged him to stay for a mere second, making it the greatest second of his entire life.

"It's a deal!" She said, with an adorably cute smile that drew Squall into giving her a kiss on the cheek. Rori laughed and fell onto his shoulder again. She would call him something, but the words just wouldn't come. The news was too fresh, and she needed time to get used to it. Rori had found her father… her _dad…_

- - - - - - - - - -

Not long after, Squall had stepped out of the room to get Rori a soft drink. The girl was parched from sobbing all morning long and needed a drink besides water. When stepping outside, he saw Quistis at the end of the hall where the coffee was stored. As soon as she saw him, she began to approach him.

"…Squall." She said, folding her arms. "Rinoa's speaking with the doctor still, filling out the last of Rori's release forms. So, Rori's free to go once Rinoa returns."

"That's good…" He muttered. He was already certain that the doctor would take back her accusations, and so his main goal now was to get a drink for Rori, nothing more. Although glad to see her in response to Rinoa's earlier distress, he disliked Quistis' approach. After all, who was it that suggested the divorce to Rinoa and whose office were they to sign those dreadful papers at? Quistis'… "I'm sorry, but Rori's thirsty…"

"We don't really know each other well, but please hear me out." Quistis unfolded her arms and placed her hands on both hips. "Rinoa's raised a bright little girl who knows who she is in this world. But she's just a kid. …It's never too late you know. If you're not there, then she could lose herself...and turn out to be something she really doesn't want to be... You can change all that if you just stay." Her voice was low, trying to avoid an argument in the hallway like Rinoa had days before.

"…What makes you think I'm gonna leave?"

"...I'm not saying you will...I just know how it feels to grow up fatherless..." She said, her eyes focusing on every other thing but him. Admitting her personal life was embarrassing. For an attorney, she was taught to mean what was spoken from her mouth, but at that moment, she felt ashamed of herself, and mostly ashamed of her father.

And Squall gave her his final thought, "...Believe it or not, I do too...and that's exactly why I have no intention of leaving again." And with that, he turned away…

Who was the man she had spoken with? It certainly wasn't the one Rinoa had described to her before. Quistis notably gave him an approving smile as she watched him disappear down the hall.

* * *

**_Return No More…Once upon an Author's lol-ing_**

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**_I'll see this through to the end…_**

_**Tough chapter, but I managed. Say, I'm thinking at least 3 more chapters and I'm done. Damaged Hearts is my shortest story, and it's also my second to last story. I'll probably begin work on Eternal Breath next year sometime. By the end of this month or October, I'll have this one completed. I didn't want to rush this chapter because a rushed update is a bad update, and if I STILL screwed up this chapter, let me know. People are reading but not reviewing enough, so some words of encouragement will do, not saying that I'm ungrateful for receiving the reviews I already got for the last chapter, but I just need to hear from everyone again. It's been a while, and I need to know that I haven't scared anyone away, you see?**_

_**Well now, replies, replies, replies:**_

**_Ayato: Hehe, I know, I loved that line too! As I was writing, I felt like I was losing Squall's character, but I think that line did it! Lol. Thanks again, and I hope you keep writing too! No worries, I can see the ending clearly in my mind, so I'll definitely have it finished soon. Thanks! I have promises I intend to keep!_**

**_milk tea with soya bean: You're not that far off, I mean…Seifer's responsible for landing her in the hospital, but it wasn't intended (at least, that's what he says…lol) and yeah, I think he took note that Squall and Rori definitely resemble, but she's just a kid… The guy's crazy about Rinoa and Rori, but…I wouldn't think he's the abusive type, although he is very possessive at times. 'Rinoa is MY Girl!" lol…okay, so he didn't say that, but you get what I'm saying, right? Lol… Quistis and Seifer…-runs away- lol…we'll see about that. Thanks!_**

**_SavannahX: Hey! I hope I wasn't too late in updating again. I'm trying to keep my thoughts together, but I have this undying feeling that my story won't connect with the past chapters. But everyone's saying it's okay…so I'm going to stop worrying about it, and just focus on writing exactly as it comes from me. Thanks for sticking around!_**

**_Jahliyah: I'm so sorry I scared you! I was without a computer for most of the year, so when I finally discovered the computer lab here at school, oh man, I had a field day. It's a little hard to concentrate because the library's always full, but at least I can get something from my mind. Yeah, I'm happy that they've finally put it all behind them, and I guess all that's left now is to say a few final words, and voila, the end! Lol Thanks so much! And your story's great! I knew you could do it!_**

_**Optical Goddess: Seifer is like the wind, he's everywhere. Trust me, I haven't forgotten about him. I just wanted Rinoa and Squall to have their moments together. They're not out of the hospital yet, so rest assured, Seifer will return. Lol…yeah, Squall was playing it smart by the end, lol…he didn't want to see Rinoa's head spin again. I don't really blame the guy. Anyway, Thanks for reviewing!**_

**_Well folks, I'll work on the next update all week long and give finishing touch ups by the weekend. How do weekly updates sound? Not bad? Let me know what you think...what you think about this chapter also, I want to hear from you! lol_**

**_StardustRay (I'm not changing the pen...I can never change the pen...)_**


	14. Heart to Heart

_Disclaimer: Because I made a false proclamation about a petition I'd issued last time, the FF team paid off a strange red haired man and his bald friend with shades to get rid of me! Dear lord…they're headed this way—O.O—I don't own FF8! _

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_**Chapter 14: Heart to Heart**_

* * *

After the last bits of information were processed, Rori was finally released from the hospital. They walked out of the hospital's doors to the parking lot, out in the morning's heavy air where the sun had seemingly risen just moments before. Rinoa, with secured arms around Rori's little body, followed Quistis as she led them to her parallel parked, modern-style silver sedan. Squall followed them with his hands shoved into both of the front pockets of his pants. He was quietly involved in a heated staring contest with Rori which they had begun when they were onboard the elevator. He could see her dimpled cheeks pressing into Rinoa's shoulder before she began to giggle, signifying her defeat. A waft of soft laughter went between the two, and Rinoa kissed Rori's cheek, just as the girl had forced her laughs into the soft furs of the pink bunny that she was wrapping her arm around tightly. 

Quistis ruffled a hand through her purse, scraping up what was left of her keys. When she arrived at the hospital earlier, she had lost her keys somewhere inside the purse that was now strapped around her shoulder. "Okay…" She whispered to herself after grabbing a hold of them finally, and pressed a small rectangular button from a round device that was attached to the keychain, which would work to unlock all of the car doors simultaneously in a snap of a second. "Here we are…" The young woman began while stopping in her tracks and facing Squall and Rinoa. Speaking to Squall mostly, Quistis said, "…Please excuse the mess, I'm so used to riding around alone."

They all took a second to look inside the car through its windows. Rinoa saw a few papers on the floor behind the front seats and she laughed, "Quis, doesn't it look like this _everyday_?"

"Oh, that's right." Bringing her hand to her mouth, she chuckled, "…I swear I pick up after myself all the time, but if it's _still there_ then maybe I _am_ losing my mind."

"Which reminds me," Rinoa had cut her off, "…thank you for coming all this way." She was referring to the woman's actions since the beginning and amid all the madness at the hospital, which nevertheless, made her partially insane too.

"Please, it's no problem. This is my job! I _live_ for these adventures." Quistis huffed sarcastically as she grabbed the door handle and gave it a tug, letting everyone know that the doors were open so they could help themselves into her car as well. Rinoa opened the door to the back seat and placed Rori inside first. Rori had rolled over onto her knees and faced the back window so she could see Squall, who had waved to her while stooping down so she would know that his wave was purposely intended for her.

"…Daddy." Rori muffled into the backseat's cushions, girdling closely her pink bunny, so its fur could completely absorb her words. Squall could see the excitement written all over her face. He shook his head with a smirk, knowing exactly what was on her mind. She smiled, remembering her secret promises with him only moments ago when they were still alone in the hospital room: _"I can't wait to tell momma what you said!" _

"…_Rori…this may sound strange, but you have to promise me that you won't tell her what I told you."_

"…_Why not? …Will she be mad at you?"_

"_No, but I just…" He lifted her from the floor again and into his arms, "I just wanted to tell her myself." _

_Rori smiled, "She's gonna be so happy."_

"_Yeah, that's why you have to promise me; otherwise, I'll tell her what you saw." He said, tickling her left side. She immediately laughed and squirmed in his arms. _

_The little girl chucked out, "Alright, I promise!" _Drawn from her promises and back into the present world, Rori smiled into her hands before using them both to wave back at her father.

As he was turning away from the car, Squall felt a pair of heavy eyes on him. When looking over, he saw Rinoa standing with her arms folded and wearing a smirk, "…Are you going to catch the bus again?"

"…Well, yeah—"

"_Squall_, I'm _kidding!_ What kind of person do you think I am?" She laughed, walking over to him and grabbing his hand, "…We'll take you back..."

_Back, _she said…it should've been _home_, but of course his new home was the Balamb Hotel. He had even grown fond of speaking to the hostesses standing at the desk every morning and night; they were so attentive.

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders as well. "I don't know…" He muttered, glancing in Quistis' direction, seeing the back of her head for a second. Quistis had busied herself in the mirror that was on the face of her personal sun guarder. He then focused his eyes with Rinoa's again while squeezing the hand that was holding his. He lowered his voice, "…Don't worry about me. Rori needs to get home, but more importantly, _you _need to get home so you can get some rest."

"…What are you talking about, that was the best sleep I'd gotten all week long." She said, thinking about their night together in the chair of Rori's room. He smiled upon realizing he too had slept more comfortably than sleeping in five hotel beds put together. He could sleep on sharp stones if Rinoa were there with him. Squall smirked and then moved his head toward Quistis' direction again. Rinoa had then realized that he was hinting for her to ask Quistis to bid them a second before they headed anywhere else. In an instant, she faced the car, which was parked with its nose faced toward the street that would take them away from the hospital, and shouted to Quistis, "I'm sorry Quistis, can you give us a minute!"

"…Sure, no problem!" The blonde yelled from the driver's seat in her car, she had long since closed the door and was now sitting inside with the windows down on all four sides. Meanwhile, Rori was glued to the back window, watching her parents chatter with one another; one of whom she shared secrets with, and the other whom she hid secrets from.

Quistis knew they would need some time alone. The couple hadn't had any time together since she arrived at the hospital. Understanding they were separated by every which way and event, she honorably turned on the AC and rolled all of the windows up so neither she _nor_ Rori could tune in to their conversation.

At this motion Rori sighed, "_Aww_." Quistis laughed silently and turned the radio on, listening in to her favorite station of tunes. "Hey Rori, what kind of music do you like to listen to?"

"Um…I don't really know." The girl answered, facing forward and sitting on her bottom again. Quistis' secret mission was complete: To distract Rori from the scene behind them ultimately leaving Rinoa and Squall with a little more privacy.

Rinoa was now staring at his hand in hers, her smile somewhat as lost as her thoughts. She was surprised when he moved his other hand with theirs already entangled and balled them all together, bringing them to his chest. Squall looked as though he wanted to say something serious, but appeared at a lost of words. Alas, they were standing there in a deep silence for a few moments before Rinoa whispered into the wind, "…It's okay if you don't want to take the ride with us. A lot's happened, right?"

"…" He flashed a worried look at her and then planted his eyes into the ground.

"…Squall. What is it?" She had asked, taking a step closer to him. "Is something wrong?"

"…I…" Uncertainty dominated his voice, "…Four years ago, I felt like absolutely nothing…and by going out there I left thinking that I could find myself again, or at least find _something_ that made sense to me. One day, I realized the only thing— the only _person_ in my life that ever made sense to me was you; you and _everything_ we were, everything we became. Now I'm here finally, and _we_ have Rori." Squall smiled, "I can promise you that I will never do anything to hurt her, and I'll always be there for her. …It's odd really. I only met her days ago and feel that I just can't wait to see who she'll grow up to be—what type of choices she'll make that will shape her life, you know?" He paused, his eyes higher than the skies for a moment, "…Rinoa, I love her _so_ much…"

Rinoa was thrilled to learn that he cherished Rori; however, all that excitement died down when he _sighed_ afterward, insisting that what would follow was bound to ruin the fine moment between them. Her eyes had angered slightly, annoyed that he would choose _now_ to release another damning thought to her.

Squall continued, "But...she isn't the _only_ reason why I'm staying…" His eyes fell back from the heavens to meet with hers down on earth finally, "That's why I can't go back with you right now." He motioned his left hand to break free from her grasp, moving it down to her waist and pulling her against his body. "If I left with you now…I'd only want Quistis to drive us _home_." He had said while pressing his hand against her back and freeing his right hand from hers. His fingertips gracefully landed onto her soft cheek and seized her chin, where he traced the skin of her lips with his thumb. Rinoa's eyes had long since abandoned their rage, and were now drowning in his heavenly blue spheres. She felt her lips pull apart against his hand, where she placed gentle kisses whilst he continued tracing her mouth.

He had meant to stress the word _home_. He wanted her to interpret how badly he had missed her, and all the things that were theirs, together. His priorities were now Rinoa, Rori, and everything in between, _especially_ Rinoa.

She murmured, "Squall…I know." She began, in an unsettling state, as if to say she too foresaw what would happen had they driven to Balamb together. She would hate to part from him at that lonesome hotel, which would lead to begging him not to stay there, but return home with her and Rori; wasn't it right on the mark?

Rinoa paused for moment, thinking why the picture of the hotel had suddenly been painted as lonely? …Didshe _pity_ him?

Feeling sorry for Squall was the last thing he had ever wanted from her, it was understood between the two of them that she should _never_ pity him; it would only make him feel weak, according to Squall. _Poor Squall, I wonder how many nights he's spent there? His bill is sure to be high. …The joke's on him, I guess. He should've come by more often; maybe I would've let him stay over. …No…that's not true. I was a real jerk. I never gave him a chance. I've been…treating him like a visitor ever since he came back. _She stared into his eyes that were saddening by the second. _Saddening?_ Rinoa took a moment to study his pupils, hoping that they were presenting some sort of mirage; however, they were projecting what was going on inside of his soul. Seeing that the heavenly blissfulness had suddenly turned gloomy, she became _mortified_.

_If I've treated him like a visitor, what if he doesn't feel welcome anymore…? What have I done to you, Squall? Whatever it is, I am so sorry. _

Thinking about his careful words, she had begun to count her own words cautiously. He had spoken to her so sweetly, yet there was a peculiar sadness about it. She recalled in her mind: _Yes, I know that he loves Rori and me, but…what else is he trying to say? Is he…angry? No, maybe I'm making a big deal about it…_ Although assuring herself that things were all right, there were thoughts nagging: Was there something he felt unsure about? _Was _there some sort of tension continuing to burn between them? If so…hadn't they _already_ forgiven one another? Would she be a fool to bring it up once again; after all, they were closer to each other now than they had ever been in contact before.

Rinoa, feeling her insides ripping to shreds from the wrath of _tainted_ love, leaned forward into his embrace and placed her hands gently on his cheeks. Her lips barely formed into a smile as she asked, "Am I really _that_ difficult to understand, Squall? Do you actually think that I don't love you anymore?"

Of course, he was surprised. He hadn't realized she would understand the hurt behind his comment so suddenly. Sure, even Rinoa could admit that what he said was truly romantic, but then she knew that underneath his words were an entirely new meaning. She could read his words and his actions all too well. It was his hesitation _and_ his misconception that gave him away. How could he be _so sure_ that _nothing_ would happen if he'd taken that trip? She understood that sending him back to the hotel was part of the plan, but that didn't mean she would follow through with it completely. Who's to say she didn't want him back home again? Rinoa yearned for him. She wanted him just as badly as he wanted her, but she hadn't come out and say it because there were others around. If he had known that earlier, then…_Then all of this could've been avoided._

"Squall, please answer me, I _know_ that's what you meant."

Why had he taken forever to answer? Was it _wrong_ to have feelings for him now?

His eyes had begun to burn through hers, his thumb pushing beside her mouth and onto her jaw line as he revealed his shameful thought, "I _need_ to know…if it weren't for Rori, would you still want to be with me?"

She stared at him, hurt mostly, but she tunneled beyond his questioning. Rinoa began to answer his question with one of her own. "…How can you be so naïve? Weren't you the one who said we shouldn't make _ifs _about the past?"

"Well, it was an honest one," He started, "…everything's fine when _Rori's_ around, but what about the two of _us_?" Although angry, his voice hadn't projected such as he pressed forward, "Before anything about Rori ever came up, you were ready to smite me from the face of the earth. I understand that you were protecting her, but I can't get rid of that feeling that you _never _wanted me to try. And I know you apologized about that a long time ago; it is seriously, the _only_ thing that keeps coming back to haunt me. I'm constantly thinking that maybe you really didn't want this to work out…maybe the only reason you want to see me is so Rori can have her _biological_ father in her life. That's why I feel like you're…" He gazed away from her, searching around for his words, "…you're so hesitant each time I touch you—I don't like it. I don't want to feel like I'm crossing the line, Rinoa. I don't want to be _here_ if I can't be with _you_."

Rinoa urged his forehead down to rest against hers, causing her eyes to connect with his.

She was falling in love with Squall Leonhart all over again; she loved how innocent he became when questioning what was happening to and around them. It may have been foolish, she could agree, but then Rinoa wouldn't have it any other way.

However…falling in love _again_? The young woman frowned: _When did I ever stop loving him?_ At first she tried her hardest to push and hide away those feelings for him, but the more he centered himself near her, the more those feelings were spurred back into action. There wasn't a day that went by that she hadn't wondered about him, about his health, about his family, or about anything that would ever concern him on any level. She full heartily admitted to needing him in her life again, and not because he was _supposed_ to be, but because she _wanted_ him there. Of course she had been angry with him, but she could never stop that uncontrollable urge to _love _him.

Her hands left his face as her arms roamed about his neck, squeezing him tightly as she muttered, "You're right, Squall…I _was_ scared. I was afraid of falling for you only to have you leave me again." Closing her eyes, she wasn't aware that they had released a torrent of tears down her cheeks. "It was like we were repeating those days up until you left and I gotpregnant…It all happened so fast." She merely cried out, "We really _weren't_ happy…"

As she had admitted her deepest sorrow, Squall realized it hit closer to home with him. He had enveloped her into his arms again, squeezing her as he mouthed, "I'm sorry…" He pressed her face onto his shoulder with a concerned hand, and began to rock from side to side slowly, "I'm not leaving… I _won't _leave again."

"I _know_…" She said, trying to cease her own weeping. "…I don't understand how long it will be until I'm _completely_ over it!" She retorted, finding a means to laugh in the midst of her weeping. He was surprised to hear her laughter, glad to see she was learning to let go of the bitterly dead feelings of their past. He couldn't help but to join in on her soft chuckling.

As they were standing there, holding on to one another for what felt like an eternity, Squall realized he had to claim their moment in time. He had to capture it before _anything _else would hinder or come between them. In that instant, he moved his head so that his mouth hovered just above her earlobe and he whispered into her ear words that would send chills up and down her spine, "I want you to trust me, Rinoa…" And he continued, his voice carrying hints of need "…I want you to let me love you again." She felt her fingers and everything inside of her tingling all at once. She was frozen in shock. And with that, he pushed his face against hers, easing it along so his eyes could meet her coffee tinted orbs. He smiled at her, watching as she began to copy that smile slowly, _wishfully_. When he realized that he had received the permission that was needed to continue, Squall leaned down to her mouth, and Rinoa rose up to his, their lips had met for a kiss at long last. They planted soft and firm kisses at first, and eventually his mouth had engulfed hers completely. She had slipped her hands into his hair, and returned his love by giving him more.

Within the moments as it became heated, Rinoa placed her hands onto his chest, reluctantly pushing him away. Squall ignored her attempts to end their long needed intimacy, and traced kisses on her cheek that had gradually fallen onto her soft lips again.

"Squall…" She said, "…We can't…"

"…Why not?" He had asked, pulling her closer.

"…Have you _forgotten_? Rori and Quistis could be watching!"

"Oh!" He grimaced, backing away from her immediately. He had obviously forgotten about the young woman and their daughter who were back in the car, probably looking at them through the mirrors and windows. Frightfully, they examined the car and saw two shadowed figures that were involved in a rhythm flowing left to right. Listening closely, they found that the bass of music could be heard in the background. After sighing in relief, they laughed pathetically and faced one other once more.

She smiled childishly while backing away from his embrace. "…I'll…we'll…" She groaned aloud, annoyed by her lack of wording, "_Well…_you know where _we'll _be."

"Yeah." He said, watching her take a few steps back and away from him.

"…Okay." Finally, she controlled herself, "…I better tell Quistis that I'm ready."

He laughed, "Right, but I wonder if _they_ are?" He inquired, titling his head toward the car where Quistis and Rori were enjoying the music.

She smiled, "If they aren't, I'll make sure that the ride home will be _pret-ty_ uncomfortable. They love music _now_."

Squall had laughed again, stepping back once more, shaking his head at Rinoa's silliness. He loved the sound of her voice, especially her laughter. Of course, there were other things he loved about her, her voice for one, but her spirit another. He loved everything about her, the good and the bad. _How did I follow through and leave…? Was I so blind? _He had asked himself, staring at her before he could work up the nerve to walk to the bus stop.

"…What is it, Squall?" She asked, folding her arms again, this time with a sense of warmness.

"…Oh, nothing." He pushed his hands into his front pockets again, much like an adolescent, and cleared his throat. "I'm just waiting for you to get into the car."

"Sorry, am I holding you up?" She asked, raising her hands defensively.

"Not at all. For all I care, we can stand here all day."

"And have me sit in this parking lot another day? I seriously doubt that'll happen." She chuckled, pressing her hand against her mouth. Rinoa turned away from him and headed for the car. "No…I don't doubt it entirely." She began again, facing him once more, "Maybe if we were the only two people here…"

If they were the only people there, if there were no other circumstances, _sure_ they could spend forever together. "…Maybe." He said, sighing in relief with the raising and releasing of his shoulders. He watched her open the door to the passenger side of Quistis' sedan, taking a step inside, "Rinoa!" Squall called out to her unexpectedly, surprising even himself.

She stopped, holding onto the top of the door and placed a hand on the car top, "Yeah?" She asked, awaiting his request. Quistis had lowered the volume to some heavy urban band music in the background of Rinoa's voice.

He was frozen, he had wanted to ask her one more question before she and others had left down the road, but for some reason, he felt that it wasn't worth it. He could wait another day to ask, he supposed. Instead, he recovered with a simple, "…I'll see you later."

Rinoa smiled, slowly nodding her head to urge the words from her mouth also, "Yeah, we'll see you at home." She said, practically jumping inside the vehicle and closing the door.

_At home…_ Squall repeated to himself mentally.

"Bye Squall!" Rori yelled from her now opened window, waving to him maniacally. She was then instructed to buckle up, and face forward by Quistis, but he saw her ignoring Quistis' orders and continuing to wave. He sniggered, waving again to his _lovely_ daughter. "Rori, be a good girl!" He insisted, although his laugh gave away his lack of seriousness.

"Bye!" Rori and Rinoa yelled before they were on their way out of the parking lot with Quistis.

"…Bye." He muttered underneath his breath, watching them pull away.

- - - - - - -

"Somebody needs to fix that pothole in the street! My car was completely normal before I came to this stupid town!"

"Now, it's one thing to talk about the busted up street, but when you start talking about my home like it don't mean nothing…" Zell said, slapping a rag over his shoulder, hoping that his rowdy customer would catch the end of his bluff.

"I'm sorry, alright? Could you just have my car fixed quickly and possibly better than it was before I ever _set a tire_ into this place?"

"_Buddy_, you've come to the right shop, you know? Now, would you mind taking a stroll and leaving this lovely car in my care?" He said, feeling his patience beginning to wear thin.

"…No way. I'm not taking a step out of this door."

"Mr. Almasy, I am a _professional_. If you can't take my word on it then I'm going to have to ask you to take your car somewhere else—"

"What are you _talking about_! This is the _only_ auto shop in town!"

"Then I suggest you have a little faith in me."

Seifer groaned, "If I find _anything_ wrong with my car: unusual leaking, lopsided tires, bad transmission, _you're_ paying for it!"

"Yeah, yeah." _Geez, what's been beating up this guy's bush?_ The blond thought to himself, gathering up his tools and heading toward the sports car. His morning had been perfect before this; he had gotten up, cooked breakfast for a change, had coffee and read the paper. He relaxed a little while, sang a song, and made his way to the shop; all before the lunatic, who was now calmly sitting there also, had come crashing inside with a busted car. He loved his business, he really did, but this man was making it hell for him. _From a great and rare morning, to a difficult and horrid evening, it figures... My life sucks… _

Before beginning, Zell took a good look at the car's front, its engine, and the tires, just to see where he'd like to begin; all the while, Seifer had sat in the corner near the entrance, watching the strange owner examining his car. _What is he doing? I wished he'd hurry up and fix it so I can get out of this place. …I used to like coming to Balamb; stopping in and staying at the hotel, but now it's all ruined. Suddenly that incredible ocean just looks like a sea of vomit. It smells horrible too! What I'd give to be back in Deling City… Away from this water, and surrounded by those streetlights, man—what I'd give. _

Seifer passed through the time by drenching himself in thoughts: _…I'd curse the day I met her if I could…but I can't bring myself to hate Rinoa. I'm not even sure how I feel about her…or if I ever want to see her again. It's that damn kid that's gotten me thinking about them all the time. If I ever saw them again…I don't know what I'd do. Rori's a good kid. It just kills me that she has that jerk for a father. That bastard cares more for himself than any of them combined; what the hell does she see in him?_

_Should I trust Rinoa, and keep out? Go back to Deling City…and never return to this place? I don't know what to do. I want to stay and be sure that he hasn't done anything to hurt her. I'd never forgive myself if he ever does anything to hurt them. _

Suddenly, Seifer was brought from his thoughts as another set of footsteps sounded onto the floors of the shop. Bringing his eyes from the floor and feasting them on the person who had entered, Seifer had frozen solidly in his chair.

"…This car..." The man said in an almost quiet tone, causing Zell to look up from his work suddenly.

"_Squall!_ You're back!" Zell had yelled, oblivious to the extensive hatred that bore between the two men present within his shop. "I'm afraid you came back at the right time. Give me a hand with this car, will ya?"

Squall hadn't responded, he simply searched about the room for the car's demented owner. When sensing a presence behind him, Squall had turned around, locking contact with the eyes of Seifer, who had stood from his seat the moment he was able to get his fright in check.

With the shop already in a tensed atmosphere, Zell rose from the ground and dusted his pants off as he walked toward the two men. "…Am I missing something? …You two know each other?"

The two men hadn't answered Zell; instead, they focused intently on another. Finally Squall answered Zell, although never looking back at him at first, "…Nope, I've never seen him before in my life, Zell." He had then faced the confused blond with a bizarre yet stern demeanor, as he spat, "…What did you say about the car, again?"

"Oh, _yeah_…it's gonna need a lot of work." Zell answered unsurely, facing the car completely and scratching the back of his head with the wrench he had held his hand when working on the car's under model. "How do you feel about that? Can you _handle_ it now?"

Squall sighed lightly, heading to the back of the shop where his uniform hung. _How do I feel?_ After grabbing it from the hanger, he responded, his face slightly gazing toward Seifer, "Sure. ...Like I can take on _anything_."

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_**Author's Unrelenting Realm of Thoughts: -Is currently hiding from the Turks- (don't ask, don't tell)**_

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_**What can I say? If it was dramatic, good, if it was romantic (I doubt it, I suck at romances!) good, if it was down right tacky, blame me…I believe I'm the one responsible for this, right? Honestly, I don't know what to say…my mind's bending and twisting, because I'm diving into the next chapter tonight, but I won't update the story until it's through--- I had been working on this one for awhile, but I just decided to turn it over to you all. I hope it you enjoyed it.**_

_**Meanwhile: Replies! In the order you review, is the order I reply! **_

**_Ayato: 1st again! Thank you, so very much! Yes, I'm glad you agree. I try not to make typos, but they happen, so I've finally decided to not take my fics way too seriously, and began to have fun with them again. I'm glad I took that break away from writing, it sure was worth it. I'm glad you loved Ch. 13, it was so fun to write. It's like I can see it all unfold before me…that is, when I'm in my writing state. Anyway, enough about me: Yeah, Squall was heartbroken when Rinoa had somewhat left him out, and Quistis, lol…she just loves her job! I'd say more, but then I'll probably end up spilling secrets of the next chapter! Thanks again, Ayato, and I hope your stories and their updates are going well!_**

**_SavannahX: Way! I did update fast. I don't think anyone was prepared for that one, lol. Oh, don't forget that Kadowaki was a sweet woman in the game. She encouraged Squall to strike back against Galbadia where it would hurt the most---wait a minute, what am I saying? She is ruthless! LoL! I hope you liked this chapter, it was a little tricky for me to write it out! –sighs- Thank you so much!_**

**_LuisSquall: Thanks, Luis! hehehe, I don't know what to say about Rori, but that Rori is Rori, and everyone adores her! Now, Seifer's back in the story, so I guess I can say trouble's a-brewing. Thanks again! _**

**_rinnyheartillyizawesome: Hey, Are you still with me, I wonder? Thanks for the review, and keep reading! The story gets better from there on, I guess, lol. _**

_**Blue: I have indeed kept writing, and I insist on continuing! I wish I knew what Rave: grove adventure was, though, it has me curious about the kid that Rori resembles. Don't be lazy, find that picture, I want to see, I want to see! Lol Thanks for leaving a review, as always! Seeya next time!**_

**_Jahliyah: Hey! Lol, I guess Kadowaki came off pretty scary…I've damaged her character? Lol…I'm sorry! Yeah, I know, I shouldn't be discouraged by reviews, but I guess sometimes it happens. It's worst because I'm constantly around computers and I always stop by to check my email. Busting my brains for a frickin' review, it's not worth it. Lol. I've rediscovered the joy of writing. So now, I feel as though the finale will glide gracefully from my mind and onto the document, lol. Can't promise anything, though! And thank you for the constant support! I'm privileged to even have someone to check up on me now and then. So thanks again! –feels all mushy- aww! I will continue with the steam! I'm so encouraged! lol_**

_**Xeifer001: Thank you! I do what I can with all that I have. Sadly, I think this will be it. Honestly, I don't really have the time to keep up with writing a story, let alone, maintaining the focus to complete the ones that are incomplete, so I figured Eternal Breath will be my close out. I started out with weird plots (or strangely "unreal" plots, as you said, lol) and I figured, why not end it on that note? Thank you so much though, what you said, it makes me feel like I don't want to stop writing Fanfictions…I'm touched! **_

**_Amy1993882002: Long time no See, I didn't think you'd ever come back! Lol. It's good to see that you haven't given up writing your own fics. It takes time and practice, don't worry, as long as you become familiar with your own feelings, you can successfully carry out the course of events and animate the way your characters react and respond naturally. Writing takes practice, and we are all practicing when writing! Shoot for it! Thanks so much for the reviews! They really encourage me to push on. _**

**_Well guys, I sure talk a lot, don't I? I'm about all talked out, so I'm going to get an early start on the next chapter. I said this before, but I liked it so much that I thought I'd use it again. "…so as you read this, I'm probably massacring the buttons on my keyboard…" lol_**

_**Let me know if you hated it, loved it, dug it, or simply adored it, and leave some X's and O's, lol, I'm just kidding! **_

_**Take care---Until next time:**_

_**StardustRay**_


	15. Man to Man

_Disclaimer: I promise to never make promises about swift updates, my promises are futile! Promise!_

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_**Chapter 15: Mano a Mano**_

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After a close examination of the feisty client's red sports car, Zell realized the only _real_ problem was its left front tire. When observing the surfaces of the car's upper model alone, it appeared to be flawless; however, the tire was as wrecked as a dirt bike's wheel would be after enduring a rough landing, perhaps landing onto some hard terrain at the end of a high leap. Both Squall and Zell could agree that there would most certainly need to be a tire change. 

Zell had climbed underneath the car once again to assure that the damaged tired hadn't affected the car's wheel alignment, which was to be as a straight line at _all _times.

Although his _employee_ apparently had some sort of unspoken tension with this customer, he would still give his best services, as his lifelong motto stands: Regardless of the situation, business will continue as usual. It was the same motto his father and grandfather lived by, and because of it, they were able to keep to their family business longer when compared to other family businesses around them, whose empires crumbled due to lack of commitment.

Fortunately for Zell, some of his cherished hard work ethics had rubbed off onto Squall as Squall was right beside his boss checking every inch of the car's body. He had hoped to tackle every imperfection; after all, it was th_e_ _car_ that was their real customer and _not _Seifer. The only thing that would keep him from thinking about the car's owner would be to focus intently on the _car's needs_ alone.

Once Zell had firmly identified the problem, they wasted no time in getting to work.

Squall held his hands on the outer rim of the tire's front while Zell used all of his effort to free the wrecked tire so that Squall could slide it off the ledge and lay it to the ground. In the midst of doing so, he caught a glimpse of Seifer acting as if they would puncture a hole into the automobile's side. As if it were a matter of life or death for the car, Seifer sat at the edge of his seat, placing a warily eye on Zell's every move who worked with the large lug wrench in his hand and nearing the car's precious paint. His actions had begun to bother Squall. Squall could have asked him to leave the room, but he figured ignoring the _juvenile_ man would be best for _everyone_. In all honesty, if he had to choose to talk him at all, he _wouldn't_ do so. Private matters were best kept _private_.

The second he glanced over at Seifer, he had regretted doing so. A slight distraction caused a whirlwind of problems for his concentration, and suddenly his mind began to wonder about things that were, at the moment, of lesser importance to his work efforts toward the car. His mind replayed their past continuously, and he counted twice in which he was threatened by this driver.

At one time, the man had tried to come across as some sort of guardian to Rinoa, threatening Squall to keep his hands off of Rinoa as if she were _his_ property. And at their other encounter, he had oddly tried to help their situation, promising that he would succeed where Squall failed, but he did so in a rather gruff and barbaric manner, such that Squall could actually agree that he needed that charge of anger ignition, it was the way he had spurred the determination to get Rinoa back without fail.

Although their last encounter hadn't completely gone up into flames, Squall still could not bring himself to spare any words to Seifer. It was then at that moment in which he decided to shut his mind up, focusing on his work once again. _The sooner we get this job done, the sooner that _flame-head_ can get the hell out of here._ He thought, and his lips formed into a pale, invisible grin.

"Can you grab the spare from the wall over there, Squall?" Zell said, motioning his hand to the sidewall, his eyes had never left the site of the tire. He was sure to check above the tire for any wreckage, but nothing of the sort came up. Only the few expected scrapes of metal across its paint job were visible, something Zell had in every right to ignore; his business only concerned fixing cars, _not _painting them.

"Sure." Squall muffled against the sleeve of his shirt, ridding his face of the unwanted sweat and possible dust from the car's exterior. He rose from the ground to claim the spare tire Zell had asked for moments ago. Squall quickly realized the workaholic blond had already laid out most of the required tools and pieces they would need to finish work on Seifer's car, if there were any a time he had been known how to organize himself, it was at his workplace.

Squall had finally rolled the wheel over to Zell's care, and Zell finished the job by pushing it into position. "…Anything else?" Squall asked as he placed his hands on his waist, backing away from the blond.

"Anything else after _this…_?" The mechanic had muttered softly. "…Not really. Guess I better inform our _customer._" He said, his hands now focusing on wrenching the lug nuts into the spare tire which would connect it properly to the car. He raised his voice to the anxious client, informing the man of the latest on his _prized possession_, "I wouldn't worry too much about the car if I were you. That tire was the only problem. It was already low on air and was bound to give out soon anyway. You wanted me to check the alignment…well, I don't think the car will drift to the side when you're driving because it's a pretty new model; it's the older ones that lose the sense of direction after a long period of time." Zell said, wrenching the lugs in between, "…And for extra safety, I advise you to contact the dealership where you purchased this car from and buy some new tires. If at all possible, ask for a full tire rotation; _that_ should put some length to the life expectancy of the tires you have now _and_ your car. Other than that, everything else is fine." The blond smiled, wrenching the last lug onto the spare. "Oh! Before I forget…I'll report the pothole that caused _this_ to the City Hall, and they'll get someone to fix the street so that it doesn't happen to anyone else, alright?"

"_Good_!" Seifer spat, folding his arms and pushing against his chair. He had muttered a few words underneath his breath, none of which were understandable to the naked ear, but Zell and Squall had both shrugged their shoulders, turning their backs to the man once again.

"…It wasn't as bad as I thought." Zell said, clearing away his tools from the car's lower side. "…Here I _was,_ thinking I'd have to bring in the whole gang to remodel this car, and all it needed was a new _tire_. Talk about being disappointed…" Zell had then glanced back at the angry customer and then brought his gaze to Squall again. He whispered, "To tell you the truth, I was more worried about _him_!"

"…Yeah." Squall said, combining a laugh and a soft sigh. He walked away from Zell to grab a hand towel from the table that neared their working area. He didn't want to get on the subject about _the angry customer,_ so Squall, at his best, tried to evade Zell's conversation; such would lessen the chances of a dramatic showdown between the _mystery man and him_.

"Oh well…I'd better get to writing this one up, and then I'll bring out the bill when it's ready." Zell announced to both parties as he walked to the back room, leaving Squall alone with Seifer; exactly the opposite of his wish.

Silence immediately filled the shop. The dullness of the air had overlapped even the bland smell of old oil and engine grit, a smell that could surprisingly leave a metal taste on the tip of a tongue, lingering in ones mouth daylong. Also in the air was the bitterness between the two men, their love for one woman, two tensed hearts battling it out over a woman who had possibly loved both, one to whom held her past, and the other her future. Or so they both presumed…

Seifer cleared his throat, dropping the annoyed customer charade, and relaxed himself in the cushioned seat on the hard-bottom chair. He made a rather _cheesy _smirk as he suddenly asked, "So have you see her yet?"

Squall continued wiping his hands with the towel. He was disappointed. He had nothing to say to the likes of Seifer. The fact that the man even talked to him had triggered a rampant nerve in his veins. He grunted, wiping tire mess from his hands, however the towel hadn't helped much because it hadn't been dampened. This, of course, had upset Squall further.

Seifer, taking the brunet's groan as a yes, continued his prying, "Well…was it worth it?" His voice resounded throughout the silent room. Seifer hadn't expected Squall to take any type of liking to him, such was the same in _his_ case, but he would have appreciated at least a single answer from Squall, he deserved that much, didn't he? After all, he waspartly responsible for Squall actually getting to meet Rori, so shouldn't he get at least _some _credit for his efforts? Of course, the blond realized, Rinoa probably hadn't mentioned that little detail to Squall about the truth of Rori's injury. He assured it wouldn't be the greatest thing for Squall to know the life-threatening trauma he had inflicted to Rori's life. He immediately sighed in relief.

However, the room sustained its silence, a kind of silence that growingly prickled at Seifer's nerve. He wanted an answer out of Squall, and he _would_ get an answer, even if it meant making the nastiest comment he could think up, he wouldn't quit until he could end Squall's disregards, "…Must be terrifying for you, coming back from the world and ending up _here_ in this raggedy place…. You went from being single, to having a wife and kid in about a day or so." The obnoxious blond laughed harshly, "But I wonder—_are_ they really worth it? Are they really what you want out of life now?" Seifer waited quietly _expecting_ answers, but found himself trapped in that loathsome silence again. Growing impatient by the second he yelled, "…Why don't you _answer_ the question—is it because I really _am_ making sense to you and you _don't_ love her?!"

Squall had immediately dropped the hand towel onto the table's surface, facing Seifer angrily. He couldn't take it any longer. What right did that guy have to say _anything_ to him? He had managed to keep quiet all for the sake of resisting a physical attack on Seifer. Instead, he responded boldly, "You know, you're one to talk. …So Rinoa told you about what happened _four_ years ago, and that _automatically_ makes you some type of _expert_ on what goes on between _Rin and me_?! Why do you insist on bringing up my past and using my daughter to _intimidate_ me? If you really felt anything for Rinoa, you wouldn't waste time with _me_; you'd focus on winning her over. As a matter of fact, I think you _pity_ Rinoa more than you _think_ you love her!"

"I don't _feel sorry _for Rinoa! I _love_ her! It's _fools_ like you who leave women like her, and leaving her only proves just how heartless _and_ stupid you are. Because later on you realize that you made a bad choice and then you want to crawl back some years later trying to _work things out_," Seifer spat, standing from his chair abruptly.

"It's _heartless and stupid_ when you only know half of the story."

"_Right_, like any story could _justify_ leaving your wife! You made vows to her, but you ended up dishonoring her when you left! Then you show up like nothing's changed, lying to her through your teeth with promises you most likely won't keep, and she _accepts_ you!?" Seifer yelled, red veins showering his eyes from top to bottom. He had gazed down at the floor, losing himself in his own madness. It was then that Squall realized that Seifer had only challenged him out of mere spite. The younger man was upset that Rinoa hadn't chosen _him_. "…But you know what?" Seifer said, his voice carrying less bass in the room, "I don't care anymore. …If Rinoa wants to choose that gutter life, then _so be it_. As soon as I pay this bill on this car, I'm out of here…no more _Seifer_!"

Squall paced the floor toward Seifer, stopping at the edge of his personal space between the two of them. He lowered his voice, hoping Zell wouldn't let on to their argument even though he silently admitted that they had gotten higher in volume. "…You're still a kid now, but someday I hope you'd understand what I'm about to say." He paused to recapture the workings of his mind. Squall thought _because_ Seifer loved to make analogies of his past life with Rinoa, it was only fair to give him a taste of his own medicine. While it would probably seem childish, he poked fun at Seifer as he delivered a moralizing message, "I'm standing here as living proof of my future with Rinoa. I am _here_, working to support my family. I wonder— what _would _you have done if Rinoa hadn't forgiven me? Would you have _moved in_ with her? …Suppose Rin decided to move in with _you_, let me guess, there's no space for a family of _three_ in that condo of yours, is there? But I doubt that a big shot like you could last a month in _this_ place; after all, this town _is_ _raggedy_, right? And let's not forget about this car, _geez,_ I wonder where _Rori_ would fit?—"

"Listen man, you don't know anything about _me_-" The blond snapped at Squall.

"That's exactly my point," Squall snarled, "…_exactly _my point! …You've got this idea that I'm here to purposely _destroy_ Rinoa's life. You're thinking that everything I do will never be right and that I'll never make her happy. The truth is that _nothing_ is guaranteed, but I _know_ that our love for one another will survive through thick and thin. Yes, I _did _leave Rinoa four years ago, but that doesn't mean I stopped loving her! Rinoa _knows_ that, and it's the _only_ thing that matters to her! …It's not about my past mistakes, and it's not about how long I've been away…" He said, his voice falling softer now.

Seifer had looked up from the floor angrily, denying the truth, "But Rinoa's so wrapped up in the fact that you're back! How do _you_ know she feels the same way you do?"

Squall wasn't phased; after all, he had left himself wide open for the attack. He raised his hand and pointed directly at Seifer's heart, "First, _stop talking_ about Rinoa like you've known her for your entire life! You don't know _anything_ about her, especially not the Rinoa _I_ married! And you were _never_ in love with her because you _don't know_ what it means to be _in love_ with someone!" Squall said, lowering his hand slowly.

The brunet stood his ground as every word traveled into Seifer's ears to hopefully make sense of the remnants of his stronghold in their argument. The blond began thumbing his forehead with a rickety hand, his gaze falling farther away from Squall by the second. He sighed heavily and then met Squall's eyes once again, "…I'm only looking out for her and Rori's safety…"

"I _know_ what you're trying do. Any dignified person in your shoes would want to do the same for their friend, that's why I understand your point. But you fail to realize that Rinoa is a _very_ intelligent woman who _knows _what's best for Rori and her. …It's about time you understood that for _you_, and moved on." Squall said as turned away from Seifer and walked toward the sink near the backroom. It would rid his hands of remaining dirt from the car wreckage. He had also ended their argument because he heard Zell's footsteps on the verge of exiting the entryway of the backroom.

"Okay, Mr. Almasy!" Zell yelled as if on cue with Squall's timing. He rushed into the room with a stack of papers in his hold, "All you have to do now is sign these three papers. And the bill is attached to that last page."

"…Fine." Seifer said, grabbing the papers from Zell's hands and looking over the contents. As he scanned the paper, his eyes were immediately drawn to the total amount due, "_What_? You want _how_ much for a _tire change_?" Seifer exclaimed, staring at Zell with blood-red eyes. He needed a way to vent his frustrations, so complaining about the price on his tab would meet the quota.

"Hey, buddy! You don't know _how much_ these tires cost me on a regular. _And_, I gave you insight about your car!"

"…Alright, alright, _fine_. I'll _pay the bill_…" Seifer said as he took time to calm down, yet he _ripped_ his checkbook from the pocket of his brown jacket. He had signed his name to the last of the documents and moved his pen to the check he would later tear from his checkbook. "…But this is the last time you'll _ever_ see my face here."

Zell had then rolled his eyes and mumbled, "_Sure,_ that's what they _all _say."

"What was that?" Seifer inquired, looking up to Zell from the documents.

"Oh," The blond laughed, "I said it certainly _seems that way_."

"_Sure_…" The young man stated, unconvinced at most, but he focused his eyes to the line on the check where he had written the amount and signed his name.

Squall had laughed inwardly as he scrubbed the last marks of mud and tire rubber from his hands. He knew that Zell was _quite_ the businessman; the mechanic hadn't been filling out the billing information but was listening in on their argument for most of the time. _Overcharging_ someone for a _tire change_ was indeed a dead giveaway that he had heard more than he was willing to tell. With mention of a condo and use of the term _big-shot_, Squall knew without a single doubt that Zell had pulled a high class scam on Seifer with his pricing. He wanted to pull Zell to the side and tell him to think twice about it, but then again the client was _Seifer, and_ he had apparently given Zell a hard time since he brought the wrecked vehicle into their shop. In some _unexplainable_ way, Seifer definitely deserved the treatment, penance for his lack of courtesy with both of the men.

Not long afterwards, Seifer had gotten into his car and started its engine, preparing to back out of the shop's garage. Squall was standing beside the car, keeping his eyes on the front tire. He was to be certain that their client hadn't left with a poor job after paying such a high price for it.

Because Zell had stepped out, possibly grabbing a drink from a soda machine down the street of his shop, Seifer felt it appropriate to come to terms with Squall. He cleared his throat above the simmering of the engine, breaking through Squall's intense stare at the new tire. "…If it's worth anything," He began, "…I was thinking about selling that condo you mentioned…" The grin had returned to his face, although it wasn't the dark smirk from before. Seifer had hoped to leave on a brighter note. "So tell me because I'm curious… How _did_ you know about it?"

Squall folded his arms and shrugged his shoulders, leaning mostly on his right leg, "It was just a guess. …I'll be surprised if anyone driving a car like _this_ _doesn't_ own a condo or something along the lines of it."

"One _hell_ of a guess…Ah well…If I stayed around here a little longer, you _would_ _be_ _surprised._" He said, a slight chuckle catching his breath. Finally, he simmered down, "…Squall, you'll take care of them..." Seifer said as he reached out his hand through the window of the car, and Squall slowly met his hand at the grab. The two men had then shaken hands for the first and most likely the last time ever.

"You'll take care of this car…" Squall said, releasing Seifer's hand.

Seifer laughed, moving his hand to the wheel of the car and nodding to Squall. He had then backed out of the garage and pulled away to the streets of Balamb. His young heart eagerly setting on the highway that would take him away from Rinoa's smalltime town. Hopefully, he would never have to pass through Balamb again.

He had looked back at its entrance through his rear view mirror, and bid his final farewell to the woman his heart might have desired, maybe even loved, his _first_ love, Rinoa _Leonhart_.

Squall had watched his car disappear down the street, turning at the first corner that would lead out of town. For the first time since returning to Balamb and parting from Seifer, he hadn't felt any anger at the sight of that red car. He was glad. He had walked inside of the shop with his eyes low, unable to believe he had finally put a rest to the mystery man Seifer.

Shortly after Seifer had left the shop, Zell dashed inside the shop from out on the street. He had shouted, "Yo, Squall! What's that over there?" He asked in a huff, pointing out at a store across the empty street.

Squall had looked up and faced him quickly, wondering what was happening outside. Once his eyes had met at Zell's inquiry, he answered him tonelessly, "…A building that's been vacant since the last time _I_ was here."

"I know about the building, but what about the sign that's on it!" He yelled, refocusing his pointing so that it evened out with the sign.

Squall focused on the small rectangular sign in the window of the 'would be' new store, and spoke aloud what he had read, "..._Sold_."

"_Sold!_ Do you see that?! It's _sold!_ But by who!?"

"I…have no idea…" The brunet answered slowly, wondering if Zell had somehow expected him to know the answers to his ridiculous questions.

"What if it's something _big_, something else this town doesn't need?" Zell ran an anxious hand through his hair, "What if it's…" he exhaled heavily, "Another _Auto Shop_!"

Squall laughed and pushed his hysterical friend aside, "Zell, get a hold of yourself. _You're_ the _only _auto shop here and-"

"And that's exactly why competitors would want to come here! They'll _ruin_ me! Maybe that guy really was right. Maybe that will really be the last time he ever comes here! People will go for that new shop in a flash, right?! I mean _who wouldn't_? I bet it'll be fancier too. Imagine it! An indoor waiting room with AC, satellite television, complimentary popcorn, footstools, you name it!"

"Zell, we don't even know what the store will be, so why don't you forget about it."

"How _can I_?! It's staring me dead in the face!" He yelled, pointing across the street again.

"Just find something _else_ to do…. You know, you could _reorganize_ your office. The last time I went in there, your papers were all over the floor." Squall informed, folding his arms.

"Squall, _you're right_! I should _redecorate_! People like pretty things, don't they?"

"…Some people do." Squall sighed, having no time to sit around and worry about a possible threat. He looked away from Zell and moved his hands down to his hips as he posed, "…Am I _off _now?"

"_No!_" Zell answered quickly. Leaving no time for dismay he continued, "You thought I didn't see that, did you?"

Squall's eyes had returned to Zell's almost instantly, "…What are you talking about?"

"Your '_conversation_' with that guy you supposedly didn't know…" He smirked, "He was _the guy_ wasn't he? Rinoa's guy…?"

"If you _must_ know, he's just as much of a stranger to you as he is to me. …Honestly, I'd rather not know him at all."

Zell leaned on his left leg, using the other to scratch his lower calf, "…And that's all you had to say." He smiled again, "…Don't worry. I won't tell her."

Squall smirked at the renowned blabbermouth, "Yeah, like I'd _really_ believe that."

"Oh come on, Squall! I can keep secrets too!"

"_That's_ what I'm afraid of," He said. Squall had immediately remembered that Zell had gone along with Rinoa to keep Rori's existence hidden from him. Although the thought hadn't exactly angered him, it hadn't set right with him either. "…You keep them well when you want to, or should I say when you _have_ to. If it were up to you, I _still_ wouldn't know about Rori."

"Hey, I apologized about _that one_ already, and if _were _up to me, you would've known about Rori the day you showed up here."

"Thanks but it's a little too late for that, wouldn't you agree?" Squall said, throwing in hints of sarcasm, "And what do you mean '_that one'_?"

"_OH_! Wouldn't _you_ like to know…?" Zell grinned, turning away from him as he folded his arms.

Squall groaned, "Whatever. Anything that's in your capacity to tell, I probably already know anyway." He walked toward the wide exit to the shop. "Can I go now?" He asked, purposely pacing toward the door.

The blond sighed, "Yeah, yeah, you're practically outside anyway. And be sure to let me know if you hear anything new about that store? _Alright_?"

"Yeah, whatever." Squall said, trying not to laugh at his _boss,_ "…Zell, while your at it, the spots on the ground look a little darker than before, you might want to get on it. It's not so appealing to your customers."

"Say _what_?! Now my place looks _dirty_?! …Thanks _a lot_, _Squall!_ I ought to extend your work day and make _you_ clean the ground with a _toothbrush_."

"Too late, I'm clocked out now." The brunet said as he finally exited the shop, cutting the corner of its wide exit so he could disappear from Zell's view. Even as he made his way farther away from the shop, he could hear Zell's shouts from afar:

"_Squall, get back here!"_

"_Squall!" _

"_Fine, you jerk!"_

"—_-see if I hire **you** again!"_

Squall had laughed inwardly before he released a mollifying sigh. No more of the confusion between Rinoa, Seifer and himself. He was blessed with a new beginning, fortunate to have someone as understanding as Rinoa at his side. Not many people could be as forgiving as she could, especially after what he had put her through.

He cherished her whole heartedly _because_ she chose him and the life he could make for her, even with the chance to choose money and support over the little he could offer her. Despite all the old baggage he had carried, she had taken him in, and there was no doubt in his mind that she loved him, an emotion he had definitely felt for her in return.

All he had to do now was make her _his_ once again…and the _timing_ was crucial…

"_Squall, I'm keeping your last paycheck!!!" _

Squall grinned to Zell's boisterous remark as he whispered, "Whatever."

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**_The Authoress' Corner (I stole that word from Queen000, I'm sorry Queen!)_**

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**_-Plugs her ears- I don't want to hear it! I know, there should've been an all out brawl in the shop, but I couldn't have them do that. Both men are respectable even though there was a lot of tension built up inside. Maybe the ratings of this story would've gone up in I wrote a few "FF8 boys gone wild" paragraphs inside! lol…I'm sorry! Sorry!!!_**

_**Believe it or not, I have the next chapter in my grasp, but I had to put touch ups on this one before I can apply the touch ups to that one, lol. All I can say is (without spoiling anything else) the next chapter sets up the last of the last, so get ready because it's almost done! And then! Then! I'll………take my vacation. **_

_**As usual, please leave a little note for me and tell me what you think! Thanks! –tosses cookies around the room- **_

_**Reply time! (Do you guys want to me to reply you via email—ffnet's way---or w/ updates---my way!—I'd like to know. I wonder if FFnet is serious about the author replies…it pains me…the agony of clicking a button to reply so quickly after an update, it just takes the fun away! Ah well…let me know, please!)**_

_**Amy1: No problems, any time. Whenever I get stuck (which happens a lot nowadays) I'd avoid computers at all cost and allow the tension to write boil up inside me, so by the time I'm back in front of a computer, I'll explode in the word documents, lol…It's really fun. Thanks again!**_

**_Ayato: Ah…yeah, Sorry about that. That chapter really didn't sit well with me. I was trapped in between work for my classes and writing this story, and I just snapped in two. Lol. On the other hand, I had to spice up the ending so it could make up for the rest of the chapter. I hope not to do it again, lol... Thanks so much!_**

**_Xeifer001: If we were all betting, you would've taken the cup my friend! lol! Yeah, I've been thinking a lot about it. I don't think I'll leave completely, but as for actually writing new stories, I won't do so anytime soon. I have to focus a balance in my life. Use my leisure time to write stories or save that time for me , and the rest of my time to study. (It sucks, but…well…I have to do it. –begins crying like a baby- I don't wanna!) lol, sorry you had to see that. Thank you!!_**

_**SavannahX: Lol! I was NOT expecting that review. Lol…Wow, were they really that graphic in the parking lot?! I'm sorry!! I was trying not to make it too intense; after all, I'm not that kind of writer!! Therefore, I sincerely apologize to you and to Rori and Quistis, it's a good thing they hadn't saw that, oh man…lol. That would've been awkward to have to right. (ahh…now I've got images in my head!) lol. Thanks again, Savannah, and I'm sorry this update took SO long…**_

_**Cerulean Crystal: Haha, I work fast, don't I? You have been added to the list! lol! Thanks again!**_

_**Blue: Personally, I think you're very opinionated! I really appreciate your input AND the picture of the kid, thanks again for that. I have it in the file of my email still. (I'm waiting to get a computer so I can save it directly to my drive. Easy accessibility, in case I run across a Japanese version of the cartoon in the store and I'll be able to know at least one character from it---thereby purchasing or renting the series for the sake of new anime on tv!) –phew- lol. Thanks a lot Blue!**_

**_Jayliyah: Hehe…I know, I kinda dragged the saga about their past a bit too much---I think most of it was just a way to remind myself of what had happened before, lol…I felt like I had to mention it again (but this time for myself) in order to recapture where I had left off before. It must've been repetitive for you, lol, I'm so sorry! I hope to move things right a long, though. I can honestly say that they've finally forgiven one another about the past, I can guarantee it! That chapter really did take a lot out of me, but I'm back with another! Thank you so much, it really-really means a lot! I'll try to see about my 'romance' technique, I'm really not that confident in it, but I hope to build it more into my writing. Thanks!_**

**_Rinny Leonhart: Ah, I wanted a punch too, but then Squall is older than Seifer (in the story), and if Seifer had hit Squall, he would've hit the guy back, but with more force. Lol, I REALLY-REALLY thought about it, and opted to do so, but then…these guys can be civilized too, so…And, by the time you reviewed, I had already completed the chapter's second rough draft..-sighs- that's why I hope the argument somewhat made up for it. If it didn't, I apologize. (check out Between Heaven and Hell, chapter 7, I think, It's entitled, "Mixed Feelings" the writing's a little sloppy, but there's a short but cool fighting scene in there that might cure your fisticuff rage, lol. You don't have to look at it, though, I'm just kidding!) Thanks!!_**

_**Okay, Okay, Yeah…No Rinoa or Rori in this chapter, but they were mentioned a whole lot. Prepare for Rinoa's return in the next (obviously) and also, the return of other faces as well. Again, I hope you enjoyed your read, if not, complain, but don't be so harsh! –tears weld in her eyes-**_

_**So like, Thanks for reading, Skimming, whatever, Thank you and I'll update whenever I can! No promises there! (Like I'd really NOT finish this story, I'm so close…)**_

_**StardustRay**_


	16. The Long Road to Home Pt I

_Disclaimer: With a capital D, got it memorized? ...Okay, Okay! No, I don't own that either!_

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_**Chapter 16: The Long Road to Home- Part I**_

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Since arriving home from the hospital, Rinoa and Rori had fallen asleep on the sofa in their warm living room. Almost an hour had passed since Quistis left the two alone with the solace of the empty house to keep them company. Despite Rinoa's assurances to Squall about her having gotten all of her sleep earlier that morning, she found herself giving in to the tiredness from the car ride down the long highway, and decided to take a light nap before noon. 

The sun, invited into their home through closed blinds, emitted rays that decorated the walls in patches of sparkling light creating twinkling stars onto the yellow wallpaper. Its sunrays also smothered the television which Rinoa had shut off long ago, turned off just as soon as she realized Rori had fallen asleep watching her favorite cartoon. The girl was now asleep with her head pressed into Rinoa's stomach for extra softness, both arms wrapped about her mother's waist for comfort. Feeling as though Rori had clung to her for dear life, Rinoa watched the sleeping little girl until her own weariness claimed her; thus, she had turned off the television soon after and joined her daughter in that slumber.

Rinoa had no reason to watch the loony character bouncing from left to right on the screen; if she had, it would've given her a terrible headache. Given the choice to suffer a killer headache or lethargy, Rinoa would be lethargic _any _day. At least she could require sleep that way. The young woman dug her face into the arm of the sofa, its firm yet cushioned surface served as a pillow underneath her head. If by any chance she believed a good day's nap would come to her easily, she would be crowned the world's biggest fool.

The screen in her mind rewound the morning events; thankfully, as far as she could remember her morning wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Unreserved, Rinoa welcomed these thoughts, wanting to relive her moments with Squall in the parking lot once again. Because it was impossible to physically relive that time, she would gracefully allow the memory of his voice to ease her to sleep.

Not only had she wanted to hear his voice again, but she wanted badly to feel the heat of his breath against her ear or the firmness of his hand against her back. Like a daydream, his voice was there again, and he was pressing his body against hers once more. The outcome was surreal. Momentarily, she was secured in his embrace, standing in the hot morning sun, her eyes forced to look everywhere but into his as he rubbed his face onto hers. _"I want you to trust me, Rinoa…I want you to let me love you again,"_ He whispered, causing her to bite down onto her bottom lip.

"Squall…" She sighed softly. Even at her memory, her inner body tingled furiously. His words would always be with her, tormenting her until they saw one another again. _Until we see each other again?_ She had asked herself as her hands balled into fists underneath her face. She pushed her back against the base of the couch, remembering that Rori was still there and holding on to her for protection. All the while, Rinoa's mind neglected her moments of closeness and raised questions about their departure. _What was it that stopped him from coming with us?_

Why _hadn't _he wanted to come home with her? Wasn't it what they both wanted? Wouldn't it be for the best? Rinoa understood he didn't want to ruin the new day by taking the ride home with them. It would have been completely fine if Squall _had_ tagged along; after all, she _forgave_ him.

Rinoa wanted him _home _andshe wanted _him_. Instead, he went back to the hotel, his second home perhaps, and only God knows what he did to pass time after that. Perhaps he went to the shop to work? She shook her head furiously, awaking from a light sleep despite her mind's frantic activity.

"…Why did you leave…?" She whispered softly into the mildly stuffy air of their home, and then wondered about the last time anyone had been there to open up a window or a door. It seriously needed to air out a little. That also explained why she felt a bit warmer than usual while inside.

She opened her eyes, softly sighing and looking about the room as if in search of something, _someone_ perhaps? And after remembering that she and Rori were alone, she smiled foolishly and wiped her forehead with a warm hand.

Looking down into her lap, Rinoa saw her sleeping angel, sleeping with her chubby cheek pressed against her lower stomach. Rinoa noticed because her stomach was supporting Rori's head, the smudging forced a smile across Rori's lips. She laughed softly. _Rori smiles so much, it's a wonder that a smile hasn't been branded there already. _

The young woman grinned at her happy daughter again. She studied the bandaged wound on Rori's forehead, understanding that the girl would have to wear it for the next few days to be certain the bruising and swelling had minimized. Rinoa admired Rori's bravery in everything that had happened to her lately. Aside from the _'bad parenting'_ episode with Dr. Kadowaki, Rori hadn't cried one bit.

The telephone rang suddenly, frightening Rinoa from her place on the sofa. She placed a quivering hand over her heart to calm its rampant beating. Meanwhile the phone continued to ring, its sound rattling from wall to wall throughout the living room.

After shaking off the fright, she eased herself from Rori's grip and moved to the opposite end of the couch, where she answered the phone with a soft, "…Hello?"

Rinoa, hoping it would be _his _voice at the other end of the line, was met with disappointment when a female yelled, "_Hiya, Rinny! Guess who's back in town?!!!" _The little woman's voice pierced Rinoa's ear through the phone.

"Selphie!?" Rinoa answered in a loud whisper, trying not to wake Rori from her midday nap. She had hoped Selphie would take the hint that she was currently in a _no shouting_ zone. She tried to avoid getting Selphie more excited than her frail body had already sustained; after all, her aching eardrums might not have been able to hold up another wind of the younger woman's lung capacity.

_"Ta-dah!"_ Selphie laughed, "_You know, I think I'm a psychic!"_

"Psychic, how?" Rinoa asked. She was curious about Selphie's random drabbling.

"_I called and called all morning long, but you never answered! So I gave it a rest for a while, but for the fifteenth call, I had this gut feeling that you would pick up the phone and--- booyaka---you answered! See?!"_ She laughed ecstatically into the phone. By this time, Rinoa realized that Selphie was _extremely_ excited. Yes, Selphie had always been the more energetic of the two, but now it was ridiculous. Rinoa couldn't keep up to pace with Selphie's energy.

She snickered into the phone a few times, wondered if there had been a certain source behind Selphie's mood. Perhaps a peculiar something occurred during the young couple's three day getaway? "...So how was your trip with Irvine? Did you have fun?"

_"Did I have _fun? We_ had a great time! Except well… it was raining when we first got there, but Irvine insisted we go out and enjoy ourselves. After he insisted the rain wasn't acid, we decided to go shopping, and I picked up a few cute outfits. Which reminds me, I bought you an outfit too. Oh you're gonna love it, I just know it! You wanna know how it looks, it's got blue—" _

"Selphie, _Selphie_, slow down!"

_"I'm sorry, I can't help it. I just want to shout!"_ She heaved a great sigh and began in a whisper, _"Rinoa…we…we got **married!**"_

If it hadn't have been for her hand taking action and covering her mouth in advance, Rinoa would have screamed aloud. As though her life depended on it, she continued to scream into her palm, being careful not to wake Rori. Rinoa rose from the sofa so she could share her excitement with Selphie in full context. She grabbed the phone tightly by its mid and gathered its base from the tabletop to move away from Rori. The little girl had only stirred slightly at Rinoa's sudden movement. "_Married!?_ Oh, Selphie that's wonderful! Congratulations!" She grinned from ear to ear, but a thought occurred to her suddenly, and the grin was now lost. "…But _when_ did you guys do this? What happened and how's Irvine?" She asked, walking toward the kitchen with the base of the phone in her hand.

_"Irvine's asleep right now; he's so exhausted from the trip! I guess I'm the one to blame," _She laughed. _"Well, it all started when we went to this Gun show he'd been raving about since we left the hotel, but when we got to there, Irvine was upset that all of the guns on display were last year's models. He wanted to know why they weren't updated, so we spent most of the day waiting around to speak with the chief editor of the Weapon's Monthly magazine, who also happened to be the biggest sponsor of this event. What we didn't know was that you need a _permit _just to speak_ _with the guy. He's just so rich, and I think he was afraid someone would try to use one of his own weapons against him or something…"_

"Are you serious? A guy like _that, afraid?_"

_"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Money and power doesn't live up to the hype, I guess. Anyway, that's when Irvine had an epiphany! He didn't like the fact that the guy who was over the entire gun exhibition was actually a coward at heart. Seeing that changed Irvine's entire outlook on guns, and now he thinks of them as an excuse for the weak to be strong!"_ She said, and Rinoa could picture a cheesy grin across her face as she spoke confidently about her new husband, _"Of course by this time, I was naturally the _happiest_ person at the gun show. Rinoa, you know how much I hate guns! They give me the creeps and they're just trouble waiting to happen! That's why I couldn't believe that of _all _people, _my_ Irvy would say those things about his lifelong obsession!" _

Rinoa laughed, "Wow…it's hard to imagine."

_"Isn't it?" _Selphie released a happy sigh, "_After that, we left the gun show and walked around Balamb. …There wasn't much to do, but walk. Then Irvine told me about this play he'd seen in the paper—he said I might've missed the ad because it was so tiny because of all the Gun Show ads. …Anyway, it was an article about a play in a theater in back Deling City that was showing all week long. It must've wounded up in Balamb's paper because it received great reviews in Deling—"_

"…Don't tell me you guys went all the way to Deling?"

_"_Yeah_, as a matter of fact," _Selphie laughed._ "We went _all_ the way to Deling, and I wanna know why _you, Miss_ Deling City, never told me how beautiful that place is?!" _

"I told you before, I was born there and had lived there most of my life. Things aren't so dazzling when you're right in its backyard."

_"…You're only saying that!" _She retorted.

"What about you? Seeing snow isn't such a big deal to you now is it?"

_"…Well, when I was younger, I thought snow was a gift from the faeries—Hey! Rinoa! That is _not_ the same thing!" _

"Yes it's the same thing! You were born in Trabia where it constantly snows, right? So if it snowed here in Balamb, you wouldn't care about it much, _would_ you?"

_"…Not unless Irvypooh went out with me---Wait a minute, we're getting beside the point here! I have to finish telling you what happened! Well, after the play Irvine and I went for a walk down the main strip in Deling City and came across a wedding place. At first we joked about going inside and getting hitched, but by the end of the night, I was walking down the aisle to one of Irvy's favorite love songs, wearing one of those cute dresses I'd bought from our shopping trip just the day before!" _

"…Oh Sel…You know that I'm happy for you," Rinoa began sweetly, "…but I was looking forward to a _real_ wedding!"

_"A _real_ wedding…?" _She retorted, groaning into the phone, "_…A real wedding would've been hectic and costly, and it would take too long! We just couldn't wait any longer, and besides, our little ceremony was more than perfect!" _

"_Perfect?_ I'd probably agree with you _if_ I were there to _see_ it!"

_"But it's _our_ memory!" _

"You know, that's _really_ unfair."

_"I'm sorry! Okay?! I promise we'll have a real ceremony in Trabia during the winter! My mom will be so proud of me!" _

"Yeah, after she finishes scolding you about _eloping_!"

"_We did _not_ elope! As far as everyone is concerned, we're deeply in love with each other," _She answered with a chuckle. "_And my mom can scold me all she wants, because_ _I'm just happy to be with Irvine finally."_ There was a brief pause between them before Selphie had cleared her throat. _"…So tell me all about your week. I've already talked about myself for far too long."_ She said. Rinoa noticed the sounds of the air danced around in her ear behind Selphie's voice, sounding as if Selphie had walked through her house while speaking with her on the phone.

"Selphie, I don't know where to start." Rinoa said, leaning back against the countertop in her kitchen as she rubbed her forearm with her free hand. She wanted to avoid all conversation pertaining to _her_ completely. It seemed the past events were even farther than she could remember. However, because Selphie was her beloved friend, Rinoa knew she had every right to be informed about what had happened so far. She reflected within and began with the most important news. Her eyes had gazed toward the sofa where Rori still lay asleep as she lowered her voice, "…Squall…he, he finally met her…"

_"Really…?!"_ Selphie shrieked. She was glad to hear that Rinoa's situation had finally made progress. Realizing Rinoa hadn't finished speaking, she quieted her thoughts. Who knew what would follow later? _"And…how did he take it?"_ She spaced her question carefully.

"He was shaken at first, but when things finally settled down, he took it all surprisingly well. He and Rori seemed to bond right away, but I left it up to him to tell Rori _everything_. …I'm beginning to think that was a big mistake though… To tell the truth, I'm not sure if she really knows just _who_ he is. The most I think Rori knows about him is that he's a friend of mine. …I've tried asking her about her _Squall _today, but she wouldn't answer me. She made the strangest face I'd ever seen."

_"What gives? Rori's usually the talkative one…" _Selphie suggested. "_Was it a mean face? Like a 'mind your own business' face?" _She asked, all the whileRinoa could picture Selphie tapping a finger against her chin like a detective

"No, it was a weird one. It wasn't a smile or frown. I'm not even certain if she was upset. Rori was just…well, I can't explain it." Rinoa sighed, "…So I cut on the TV for her, and left it at that."

Rinoa could hear Selphie's laughter getting the better of her across the phone line. When she had finally calmed down a few moments later she asked, _"Is there anything else that's happened that I might need to know about?" _

Rinoa, wanting to ask the younger woman what had been so funny, decided to pass the bizarre episode by and proceed with their conversation, "…Well, Rori _was_ in the hospital for a few days."

_"The hospital?!"_ The younger woman freaked, _"When and _how_ did that happen?" _

"Oh! …That's right. I seriously forgot! You guys left the morning it all happened." She took a moment to gather her thoughts, "Well, it's a long story Selphie, but…" Rinoa started, clearing her throat before speaking on the events as they took place before and after about Rori's recovery, most of which had passed over her tongue like a fleeting dream. In the midst of her chattering, Rinoa realized how sorry she felt about doubting Squall's ability as a father again. When she finally came to a close, she had released a sigh, a signal of her relief from past endeavors.

_"Okay."_ Selphie muttered, _"…Then what about Seifer? I mean…is it truly over between you two?"_

"_Selphie!_" Rinoa groaned, before helplessly smiling into the phone. "Seifer…" Rinoa continued with a deepening grin, although her eyes had begun to frown. "…He asked about Squall, and I told him the truth. He was angry, but he needed to hear it—"

_"My gosh…that means you're still…" _

"I was wrong to say those things about Squall. He is…"She wanted to continue, but then the knot in her throat had caved in.

_"Rinoa…he's your friend, your companion, and your lover. Squall is yours!" _Selphie cheered, only to hear her friend waft in cries._ "Rinoa? Rinoa, what's wrong?"_

"You were right, I love Squall. We've resolved our issues and now he and Rori are all that matter to me. But those last days were hectic, and I can't help but feel like I'm still living in them. I thought that all this extra weight would have lifted from me, that I would feel so liberated from it all, but I can't understand it! Why did I ever bother dragging Seifer into all of this?" She said, caging her feelings within: _Maybe Seifer was there to help me out of my depression, make me feel worthwhile again?_ As her face was downcast, tears slid down her cheeks almost instantly. There was a knot of pain in her chest, one that spurred to her throat and prevented her from speaking anymore, but she cleared her throat softly and forced her words through, "…Selphie, I _am_ happy right now, but I…I feel _terrible_ about what I've done to _Seifer_! He's such a good person, and I…"

_"No, no, _no_, Rinoa! You were on the right track! You have every right to be happy, and you deserve to be happy! Just stop thinking about Seifer and look at yourself! You should feel wonderful!" _Selphie said, hearing Rinoa crying from her end, but the younger woman continued to give her the support she needed, _"Squall left but now he's back with more sense, and you two are still in love, and he loves Rori! Not even the storm from those four years could tear you two apart! Rin, don't cry!" _She said, and then she heard Rinoa sniffling into the phone. She softened her voice, _"I knew everything would work out by the time I got back from my vacation. C'mon, be excited! Be happy for yourself, be happy for Rori! Be happy for me! I mean, look at me, I've gotten _married!"

Silence dropped its heavy weight onto both women before Rinoa immediately burst out into laughter, and Selphie joined her. As she laughed, Rori, who was asleep on the couch, shot up from her slumber and snapped her head around to see what had happened to her mother. When the girl realized Rinoa was laughing and not _screaming_, she had then sighed in relief, pressing her fingers to her temples and comforting her worries.

"Oh, Rori!" Rinoa said, looking over into the living room at her daughter, "I'm sorry I woke you up, honey."

"It's okay, momma…" The girl muffled into her hands, sliding them down her cheeks.

Watching her daughter yawn into the palm of her tiny hand had reminded her of the dried tears on her own cheeks. Rinoa mouthed, "I am so sorry…" She had no right to be sad while in Rori's presence. She had to keep her own sanity in check to preserve the girl's sanity as well. The young woman immediately wiped her face to hide every trace of sadness from the young girl's eyes. She humbly accepted Selphie's request; after all, there was no need to frown, was there? Things were working out for the best, right? Most of all, she needed to be happy that Rori still had her health, and that the girl hadn't lost her life to Seifer's car. Rori was Rinoa's gift, and as such, Rinoa would cherish her everyday for the rest of her life.

Once again, Rori yawned into her hand; however, Rinoa knew what would shake off her weariness. She took a deep breath and sang, "Guess who's on the _phone_?!"

"_Sefie?_!" The girl squealed almost immediately after.

"That's right!" Rinoa answered, watching as Rori jumped from the couch and dashed toward her, tackling her legs.

"Let me see! Let me see!" Yelled the little girl who was jumping at her mother's thighs and reaching up for the phone, all the while Rinoa had placed her hand on top of Rori's forehead to keep her still until she could lower the phone down to her level.

"Hold on a second, Rori—Selphie?"

_"I'm still here! I can hear the little lady from here!"_ Selphie cackled through the phone as she recalled the day Rori had worn her yellow sundress out in the noonday, admiring the playing card designs and drinking lemonade. Selphie also remembered how mature Rori had been after Squall returned the lost card to her. As if sensing that Rinoa would instinctively move the phone from her own ear and out to where Rori was bound to hear, Selphie yelled, "RORI!"

_"Sefie!"_ Selphie heard the little girl shout back, _"I missed you!"_

"I missed you too, Rori!"

_"BYE!"_ Rori yelled, ending the shortest conversation known to all mankind. Rinoa laughed, pressing her free hand into her cheek while Selphie yelled goodbye to Rori, who had run back and dived onto the softness of the sofa.

"Bye!" Selphie said again as Rinoa pulled the phone back and placed it over her ear. She heard Selphie rattling, _"Oh, I really miss you guys so much; it was the longest vacation ever! Rinoa, you don't know how excited I am right now!"_

"Well I think I've gotten a good grasp of it."

_"Ha-ha."_ She said, followed by a real laugh. _"…Anyway, we got home some time yesterday, so we're unpacked and snug now. …Say Rin, I was thinking about having a little get together today or tomorrow. What do you say?" _

"…Sounds like fun."

_"Great! Bring Rori and Squall, okay? Irvine and I have a little surprise for Rori, so be sure to tell her for me, will you?" _

"I will. _Oh_ Selphie, exactly when are you holding this _get-together_?"

_"How about tomorrow at noon…? Wait…that won't do, Irvy's got work. Let's say tonight at 6 or 7? You think everyone will be ready by that time?"_ She laughed, _"Everyone…? Listen to me, talking like I'm throwing a huge party in a mansion somewhere. Oh, and don't worry if you think it'll bother Irvine, it was originally going to be a party to celebrate our good news, but now that I see we all have good news, it'll be to welcome Rori home mostly _and_ to celebrate every one of us."_

"Thank you, Sel..." Rinoa laughed inwardly; however, the good news was short lived. Although grateful that Selphie would go through all the trouble to allow everyone a good time at her place, Rinoa wanted to be with Squall, to rebirth what was once lost to them. She needed that time with him, _tonight_ perhaps. Whether that time meant that they would be with Rori or alone even, she just wanted him all to herself, to know he would always be with her. The young woman wondered if it was selfish to feel that way.

_"Earth to Rinoa!"_ Selphie yelled over the phone.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Sel. I'm still here…"

_"I thought you were going to say something afterwards, but…you left me there. …You know you really don't have to go if you don't want to. It's your choice!"_

"No…I wanna go," she lied, "I was only thinking…that's all."

_"Well, there's nothing to think about anymore because you're coming over and that's final! Be here tonight!"_

"Yeah, yeah…" Rinoa laughed, fanning the air with a wave of her hand as she prepared to terminate the lines.

* * *

Hours after the sun had breeched the sky with its orange evening glow Squall was back in his hotel room, showered, eaten, and incredibly tired from his long day. After retiring to his bed some moments ago, he had tried to take a nap that he hoped would span off into sleep. 

Since leaving Zell to spit-shine every corner of the shop alone, he felt an unbearable wave of weariness overwhelm his body. He _could _laugh at Zell's foolishness in reacting before knowing much about the suspicious new store across the street from his shop, but expending the energy just to form a grin wasn't worth his time or effort. "…Sleep…just go to sleep." He urged himself; hopefully, he would give in to his fleshly desire to rest sometime soon. After all, sleep was much sweeter to the working man, but he was left to wonder if this so called sweet sleep had chosen to betray him instead.

Suddenly the telephone in his room rang, interrupting his attempts to rest.

"Oh no…" The brunet groaned amidst the darkness. He looked over at the phone on his dresser top and sighed, "…Zell, if that's you, I'm going to kill you tomorrow." Finally, he reached over and answered the phone groggily, "…Hello?"

_"Squall?"_ At the sound of her voice, Squall had immediately winced. How could he ever think of Zell calling before Rinoa? He had almost forgotten she had had his number.

_"I'm sorry…Were you sleeping?"_ She asked quietly.

"No, it's fine. I was just dozing." He cleared his throat and sat up in his bed. Reaching for the lamp on the dresser top, he grabbed and pulled its string to illuminate his room. He brought his hands to his eyes and massaged the weariness away, "…Is everything all right?"

_"Yeah, everything's fine. I…I thought you were at the shop, so I called there looking for you. …I think I gave Zell a scare."_

"Zell…?" He smiled, turning his face away from the phone to yawn. "…Don't worry about him, he's _always_ scared."

_"That's typical of him." _She laughed, widening the grin onSquall's face. He enjoyed the sound of her voice over the phone. _"By the way, he says that you better not think about working for the guy across the street. What…what's he talking about?"_

Squall sighed loudly. "…Is he _still_ going with that?"

_"…Something between you guys from earlier?"_

"Yeah, it's something stupid." He had breathed aloud and explained, "…Someone bought the building across the street from Zell's shop. We have no clue as to who owns it now— it could be _anyone_. Zell starts panicking, getting all delusional about his competition or whatever. I told him he was crazy." He said, hearing giggling from her end of the line, and he continued, "You'll love this..." Squall smirked, "…He _fired_ me for laughing."

_"He _fired _you?!"_ She paused, _"That's ridiculous!"_

"We weren't serious, but I'm beginning to think _he_ was…" He said, sliding a hand through his hair as Rinoa began to laugh again. He rested the phone between his neck and shoulder to give his hand a rest, and kicked his legs to the left side of the bed so his feet could touch the floor. "I worry about him sometimes…"

_"You know Zell. …He'll be fine." _Rinoa assured

"Yeah."

_"Oh, right,"_ She said suddenly, _"Here's why I called…Selphie's invited us over to her place tonight. Do you feel like going?"_

He thought about his bed for a moment, how it had seemed to seduce him, making him feel as though he would miss out on a chance in a lifetime to rest between its irresistibly comfortable sheets. He shook away the temptation and smiled, "Sure, I'll go."

_"Great! Come home and then we'll head over there together, okay?"_ She said eagerly, sounding as if she had been multitasking, sliding on clothing while talking with him at once. He had grown silent with the thought. _"Squall…?"_

"Hmm?" He muffled into the phone, rising from the bed as if she were dressing in the room with him, reading his every move.

_"…Did you hear me?"_

"Yeah, Rin…I was just…" He grabbed the phone from his neck and held it firmly, "I'll be there in a little while."

"Okay." She said. "We're waiting!"

"Don't worry, I won't be late."

After Rinoa hung up her phone, Squall had remained on his line a little while longer, grinning against the buzzing from her end. He placed his phone back onto its charger slowly as he muttered, "…This day keeps getting better and better."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The brunet looked at himself in the mirror once more before he left his room. He had dressed in a burgundy sweater and black pants, and his boots. Typical Balamb weather told him it would be a cool night, and so he topped it all off with a short midnight coat. He wondered how Rinoa might dress since recalling how she had hated the crisp coldness contrary to his hate of the scalding heat. Suspense couldn't rear its head for long; he would be seeing Rinoa in less than an hour. He realized it was the most they would see of each other in a single day since his return. He couldn't help but to cringe when jittery twinges engrossed his body.

What _was_ it that he was feeling? Was he nervous all over again? Nervous like he had been during their first date? He smirked, _first date… It was the only date I had ever been on before, so ofcourse I was nervous! But Rinoa…she made me feel so calm, and we spent our time as naturally as it came. …Although everything hadn't gone as we had planned, we actually wound up having a great time. _He had then released a relishing sigh, _what have I got to be nervous about? This is Rinoa…I trust her._

Soon after leaving the hotel, he had reached the house. It towered him like a whale to an insect; he unknowingly swallowed a large lump in his throat. _When I saw this place for the first time, I _knew_ she would love it. She really admires doll houses, and I think this one beats the rest by far. The crème edges have dulled over the years, but it is still in good shape._

Taking his first step upwards, a mixture of bittersweet memories coursed his being, making his stomach rampant. He had paused momentarily, allowing his feelings to settle before continuing up the stairs to their house. He tried to calm himself down as he drew upon old memories of Rinoa.

_I knew these stone steps would work out fine, regardless of what her father had said about its condition. He said it was a nice house, but he didn't want Rinoa to live here…it wasn't suitable for his little girl. But I knew the truth. He only disliked the house because Balamb was just too far away from him._

The young man laughed inwardly, _I was glad it was far away…that meant I was free from him. The things he said to me back then, sometimes it was hard to hear, but then I appreciated it too. Better to hear something rather than nothing at all, right?_

He sighed, _Rinoa spent all those years despising her father, but as she had gotten older she couldn't stay away from him._

The front door opened unexpectedly and Rori peaked outside, her hair falling over her eyes.

_"Rori!"_ Rinoa's voice roared from behind the girl, _"…Don't open the door like that! You don't even know who it is!" _

Even with hair blocking her view, she was able to make out the figure standing on their front porch, and her eyes lit up like stars, "_Daddy_!" She cheered, running toward him quickly.

"Hey, Rori!" He said, dazing at Rori's outburst from the doorway. He had then laughed and knelt down, opening his arms to pick her up from the boarded floor of the porch. She hugged him and then moved her face back to see his eyes.

"I kept my promise!" She whispered, looking into his eyes as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Did you?" He asked, his voice returning her whisper. Rori nodded fiercely. Squall smiled, "Well then…I think we have to tell her the truth now. No more keeping secrets from mom."

"Aww…" Rori sighed, and moved her hand over her mouth. "She looked so funny!" She giggled, causing Squall to laugh too, and she then rested her face against his shoulder.

Rinoa peeled back the front door from where Rori had already left it open. Had she heard Rori correctly? When she looked out onto the porch, she saw Squall patting Rori's back, her arms now wrapped around his forearms and they were calm. Rinoa noticed that his eyes were smiling more than his mouth had. Judging from the look on his face, he too had been surprised at Rori's outburst.

Rinoa stepped too hard, sending a creak from the wooden floor. "Ma!" Rori called to her mother in her baby voice, looking back to her from Squall's shoulder. "Look who's here!" The girl yelled, her eyes returning to her father's, but then she realized Squall was no longer looking at her. His eyes had fallen in line with Rinoa's.

"…I see him, sweetie." The young woman replied softly, her eyes never leaving his blue orbs. Hearing Rori call to Squall without using his given name, it had surprised her, but it also released suppressed tension from her heart. Rinoa was overjoyed to find that he had finally told her the truth, and she smiled. "_…_Squall._"_ She whispered, watching him standing before her, the scene unfolded before her eyes in slow motion. Had she dreamt this, imagining it up while waiting on him? All the while, Squall continued to stare at her, unable to make another move or say a single word. He smiled warmly. Rori giggled as she watched her parents' flirting eyes.

Rinoa laughed, placing her hands over her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears, tears that Rori became concerned about. "What's wrong, momma?" She asked, her smile slowly disappearing upon seeing Rinoa's eyes glistening by the second.

"Oh…it's nothing, sweetie…" She smiled again, forcing her eyes to Rori's. "I'm just…I'm just glad that your dad made it here on time." She answered, bringing her hands underneath her eyes to wipe away the tears before they could fall.

Squall saw the shimmers in her eyes and took a step toward her with Rori in his hold. "…Sorry, I didn't get to ring the doorbell, which reminds me." He looked at Rori again, "Your mom was right, Rori, don't ever open the door by yourself. Just wait until she says it's okay to open it, alright?"

The little girl sighed, "_Alright_…" Rinoa hid her laughter, covering her mouth with a relaxed hand. Squall had barely been in Rori's life for a full day and was already lecturing her about safety.

She wiped the unruly strands of hair from her face, and smiled to the pair, "Well then…we should get going. It wouldn't be fair to Selphie if we showed up late."

"Let's go!" Rori yelled, urging Squall to let her down, and he abided, allowing her down from his waist where she leapt onto the porch again. Rori jumped up and down with wild laughter, "Guess what, _Squall_! Sefie's got a surprise for me!"

"A surprise…?" Squall smiled, looking at Rinoa who had placed her hands on her hips and shook her head from side to side, "It's true. Oh...and Rori, your secret is out, so you don't need to do that anymore, okay?"

"Oh…okay." She had muttered, dropping her eyes to the floor, but then the moment was short lived. "Hey! How did you know…?!" She placed her hands on her hips and faced Squall again, "You didn't _tell_ her, did you daddy?"

"No." He answered, shaking his head from left to right, grinning at her seriousness.

"Are you _sure_?" She asked.

"Positive," He answered with a nod.

The girl scratched her head, completing missing the hint when Rinoa had deliberately used _dad_ before any of them had said a word about it. She shrugged her shoulders and faced the door. "If you say so…" The girl muttered. Rinoa and Squall exchanged looks across the porch. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Rori yelped. "I gotta get something! …Be right back!" Rori said, running into the house and leaving them a few seconds alone.

"…I blame myself for telling her about the surprise so soon," Rinoa sighed. "She hasn't been quiet since I told her, or quite herself," She laughed. "…Selphie insisted I tell her about the surprise, but heaven knows _why_ I listened to her. Rori's been excited about this present for the last _three _hours."

"Oh wow..." He mouthed, hiding away his smile. Who knew what would happen to him if he had laughed at her right then and there? Looking into the house, Squall watched Rori emerge with a pink bunny in her hands.

"I'm ready." The girl whispered, tugging at the bottom of Rinoa's long pink skirt.

"Okay, Rori. Just let me lock the door." Rinoa answered, pulling the keys to the house from her jacket pocket and closing the door behind her.

There on the porch, only the streetlights provided light. Rinoa concentrated on locking the front door to their home.

Feeling little fingers tapping his hand, Squall had looked down and smiled. Such a sight was spooky in the eyes of any three-year-old, and so Rori reached up and grabbed for Squall's hand in the darkness. She had been cuddling the stuffed rabbit underneath her right arm for comfort, when she reached out for his help. Without a single word, Squall took Rori's hand, and they waited for Rinoa to join them at the foot of the stairs.

Rinoa had faced them, placing the keys into her tan jacket, and smiled, "Are we ready?"

"Yeah!" Rori shouted, and Squall had given a quick nod. Rinoa sauntered toward them and grabbed Squall's free arm. And they finally walked from the porch, heading up the street to Irvine and Selphie's home.

"So, why a _party_?" He asked, keeping Rori's hand secured in his own. They were sure to take smaller steps because the girl had chosen to walk too; otherwise, he would've lifted her from the ground at any moment. He tensed the arm that was looped with Rinoa's to assure he was there, and wouldn't be leaving from their lively bunch any time.

Rinoa smiled, brushing her face against his forearm. "Well…despite Rori's '_surprise_', it's actually to celebrate Selphie and Irvine's big news."

"Big news?" He asked while facing her, tilting his head slightly to the side. Rinoa allowed her eyes to meet his and giggled when she saw his face had curled quizzically. He was adorable to her, and she couldn't help but to laugh at him. "What's so funny?" He asked, oblivious to his own expression.

"Nothing's funny, I'm just…" She smiled after putting a rest to her laughter, "… Irvine and Selphie are married now." She said, continuing to stare at him. Squall looked away momentarily, and then brought his eyes to hers again. "Isn't that great?" She inquired, hoping to get feedback from him, but he laughed out loud instead. "_Squall!"_ Rinoa yelled, using her left hand to slap the top of his arm jokingly.

Rori had looked up at them with a grin, uncertain of what her parents had been talking about all along; her mind had been fixated with her long awaited gift, wondering what it could possibly be.

"I'm sorry!" He laughed. "…I meant to say that it's great to hear that they've tied the knot, but isn't it a little expected?"

She smiled again, looking at the path of the dirty sidewalk before them. She lowered her voice, "…Well yeah, I guess it wasn't a big surprise to _me_ either, but…I'm a little upset, Squall. They _didn't_ have a wedding... A wedding is special because it serves as the unity of two people… It's a wonderful way to begin a new life together. It's the first day of a new life with the one you _love_."

"...I couldn't have said it better myself." He whispered, watching her as she lifted her eyes from the ground to meet his. Rinoa smiled, her cheeks blushing against the dim lighting from the streetlights. Silence had taken over.

In the midst of their silent flirtations, Rori yelled, "There it is!" She pointed to the young couple's home with the pink bunny in her hand. Both shrugged their shoulders and smiled to hide the disappointment. The moment should have been longer.

"Great," They said in unison, stopping at the street's corner to observe the house from afar.

"Are you ready?" She whispered to him, facing him slowly. He grabbed her hand from his side and grinned. She understood his gesture. As long as they were together, they were prepared for anything. They had been through hell _and_ high water, so what could possibly stop them now? Aside from the expected hyperactivity for the next few hours, they were ready for _anything_, "Here we go…" Rinoa whispered.

* * *

**_Once Upon an Author's Rocky Road:_**

* * *

_**Hey! I separated the chapter. The other will be posted next week because I realized it would need a few more tweaks. So if this one reads a little naked, don't worry, I'll bring the clothes next time. I'm sorry, I don't know what's come over me. Anyway, I hoped you've enjoyed your read, so stay tuned as we get to the end of the line.**_ **_Oh yeah, and on a side note, I've notived that when I've uploaded a document exceeding 5000 words, the system smudges my words together like this ( My little exampleindication, you see?) In such a case, I haven't written the words that way, but rather it is a glitch with the document transformation, and as such, I may not see those when I've first uploaded a document. However, I will not neglect those as they are nuisances even to me, and I'd rather not read or have any one else read the words that way either. Thank you for pointing it out, now let me exterminate so you won't have to look at them again, okay? Okay! Thanks!_**

_**I'm going to reply like this for the rest, and I'll use their system with the newer story. Sorry, Don't hate me!**_

_**SavannahX: lol… I'm thinking about writing a one shot about a fight between those two…of course it'd be AU, but…it's just a thought. (lol, As if I can afford to write due to all the work from classes…ahh.) Anyhoo, I'm glad you liked that last chapter, and hope you like the next even more! Hehe**_

_**Cerulean Crystal: Thank you, I'll try to keep up! **_

**_Amy: Candy! Yay! –gathers candy, throws some to the chocobos in the fields.- lol! Thank you!_**

_**Teresa: Hola! Thank you very, very much. ( two "very"s because you left one for EB, thanks!) As I said before, I'll continue with that one, but it requires my top concentration. When I begin that story again, I'll have to focus on it alone. lol. Well now, don't worry, from here on, it shouldn't be too long of a wait. Thanks!**_

_**Ayato: Thanks so much. Almost every scene with Zell plays in my mind like a show. I think I'm beginning to love his character even more. Hey, just read whenever you feel like it, take your time! Adieu!**_

_**Well guys, looks like this is it. Time to wrap it up! Just going to say, hope you enjoyed your read, and leave a message for me when you get the chance. Remember, this is part 1, part 2 will be brought to you next week, okay? Aright!**_

_**Adios, **_

_**StardustRay**_


	17. The Long Road to Home Pt 2

_Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it. Yep, another long one. Sorry, Rori's too young to sign autographs. Sadly, I'm going away... -wails like an infant-_

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**_Chapter 17: The Long Road to Home Part 2_**

* * *

"Congratulations!" They said in unison at the newlywed's doorway. Rori's voice overshadowed both Squall and Rinoa's, causing Selphie to laugh heartily. 

"Oh _thanks_, you guys! I'm _so_ touched!" She said, beaming with grace as she widened the opened door and allowed them to enter. Selphie hugged Rinoa first and then felt a little hand tapping the back of her thigh. When she looked down, she saw Rori smiling from ear to ear.

"It's my turn!" She said, forcing Selphie to end Rinoa's hug to drop down and embrace the little girl. Rinoa stepped back and grinned at Rori, watching Selphie squeeze her in her arms. Rori's laughter into her shoulder became a soft mutter, "Sefie, I can't _brea-the_!"

"Sorry!" The young woman chuckled, releasing the girl from her arms. She had then looked up from the floor before standing at her normal height and smiled at Squall. "Long time no see, Squall!" She laughed, opening her arms and walking toward him. He had stepped into her embrace with a smile, and was surprised to hear her saying, "Why didn't you stop by to say hello?"

"Well…" He muttered, slowly backing away from her, "I…"

"Ah, it's okay!" Selphie smiled, "Don't be a stranger! You're like family to Irvy and me."

He sighed in relief, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Let me close the door, it's cold outside." She said, watching them entering her house like a model family: husband, wife, and kid.

Squall had taken each of their coats, including his own, but Selphie gathered them from him and hung the pieces from the coat hanger, placed to the right of the doorway. Rinoa and Rori greeted Irvine and had quickly found seats at the square table that Selphie had decorated with red and green mossy drapery, dangling off its edges.

Irvine approached Squall with an extended hand, "Hi, Squall."

The brunet looked down at his hand first and then lifted his own to shake it slowly. "Congrats," Squall said.

"Thanks." He responded coolly, releasing Squall's hand with a smirk across his face and added, "It should've been done a long time ago…Had I waited any longer she would've gotten a way from me—"

"Okay, okay, the food's getting cold!" Selphie shooed them along with her hands pressed against their backs, apparently she was fixated with getting the guests out of the doorway and into the warmness of their dining room. The ecstatic woman began biting her gums about the delicious cakes she had made up in less than fifteen minutes, and how she had gotten the recipe from a restaurant in Deling City. As she _ushered_ them out of the walkway, Squall had eyed Irvine quizzically from which he received a wryly grin.

Eventually, she and Rinoa had left the table and walked out into the living room that was open in view to those left behind, where they lost themselves in the details of her '_beautiful'_ red and green party setup. Rori, sitting beside Rinoa's empty seat that was across from Irvine, had busied herself in the sweets bunched together on her dinner plate, leaving Squall and Irvine to stare at each of them with _great_ concern. Aside from the mellow big band jingles playing from the stereo behind, Irvine and Squall sat adjacent to one another at the square table in total silence. Squall would've said something sooner just to get time moving, but Irvine had already found another means to waste time. He feared if things continued the way they were, he would join him.

After ensuring that every lick of icing had melted from the plastic fork, Irvine removed the fork from his mouth, sighing as he tossed it back onto his plate. "I don't understand where all that energy comes from," He stated, staring blankly at the women who were seemingly chatting about _everything_ in line of their sights. "…They've been talking for decades without even stopping to _breathe_."

Squall frowned, "Who are _you_ kidding?" He pulled his plastic cup from the table, bringing it to his mouth to finish the last of the mystery punch inside. If it weren't for the specific colors, could anyone possibly distinguish the difference between any of the punch flavors?

"So Squall…" Irvine had interrupted the man's somewhat amusing thought, "…Is everything good?" He inquired, his gaze straying across the room from Selphie in the next room and toward the brunet sitting adjacent to him.

Squall pulled the red cup away, looking at Irvine quizzically. Although the two were good friends, he had rarely discussed his personal life with Irvine. However, seeing as Irvine was now married to _Selphie_, he understood that everything _she _knew, _he_ would know also. Yet before he could give an answer, they each heard the sound of a plastic plate sliding across the table cover.

Looking across the table, they saw Rori chasing her cake with a fork that had pushed the loose plate forward every time she went in to cut a piece from its edge. Squall had immediately reached over and stopped the plate, and held it in place while rising from his seat to take Rinoa's abandoned chair beside her. Rori looked into his eyes thankfully before focusing her eyes and digging her fork into the slice of yellow cake, finally able to enjoy and savor her bite. He smiled at her.

"…Yeah, it's fine." He answered, returning his face to Irvine's while maintaining a stiff hand on Rori's plate to keep it still.

He realized his new seat placed him directly across from Irvine. Taking advantage of Squall's new positioning, Irvine leaned forward, pressing his elbows onto the table to take advantage and squinting his eyes. "…Are you _sure_?" He inquired Squall, lifting an eyebrow.

Squall took a moment to himself, losing the smile he had given to Rori moments ago to the seriousness of Irvine's inquiry. _Am I sure? _He asked himself to be certain he could make since of his answer. Finally, Squall reached a conclusion.

"…No," He answered. "…But I'll make sure everything's fine for _them_." He said, tilting his head toward Rori, signifying Rinoa as well.

"_Alright_! That sounds good to me." Irvine said, falling back into his chair. He slapped an arm over his belly and roared, "Hey Selphie, is it time yet?!"

Selphie had been mumbling to Rinoa, "You mean she _actually_ called him _daddy_?"

"_Selphie_!" Irvine called again, his voice booming over the music this time.

"—Oh!" The young woman howled. "What is it _Irvy?"_ She asked sweetly, turning from Rinoa to pretend they were talking about anything but Squall and Rori's secret.

"Is it time for the _You-know-what_?" He had asked again.

"Oh!" Selphie exclaimed, smiling as she set her glass of juice onto the coffee table. "That's _right_! It's time for somebody to get something _special_!"

Rori immediately dropped her fork and sat up stiffly in her chair. She watched as Irvine jumped from his seat and ran out of the dining room to meet Selphie at the corridor to their bedroom. Rori turned around in her chair and looked at Rinoa out in the living room first, who smiled and lifted her cup, and then she looked at Squall beside her, who grinned and pointed toward the young couple as they emerged from the corridor with a large box covered in pink wrapping paper and strips of red ribbing that met together underneath a red bow at its top.

Rori smiled with yellow cake crumbs and white icing stuck to the corners of her mouth. She had instantly abandoned the cake at the table and made her way to the living room where her gift had been gathered. She was especially surprised to find that it was quite bigger than what she had already imagined.

Rinoa laughed, muttering that it had been the cutest display she had ever seen from her daughter.

The little girl's eyes lit up when Selphie said, "Rori, here's a little something from us." And when they placed the box down, Rori stared at it for a few moments as if waiting for someone to give her the okay to open the gift.

Almost reading her mind, Irvine urged her onward, "Go on Rori! Open it up!" He had yelled, looping in his arm around Selphie's waist, and watched the girl dig her fingers underneath the ribbon, ripping it from the side.

Squall stood from his seat and joined Rinoa who was watching the show from behind the couch where Selphie had left her before. They watched their daughter tear away the wrapping paper from the box. When she finally reached the layer underneath, Irvine had stepped in and lifted the top half of the box off, revealing a maple wooden rocking horse. It was the same horse he had been working on sometime ago, and had finally finished just a day before he and Selphie would leave for their trip to the city. He prided himself in his work while Rori stared at it silently. She was _far_ from disappointed. The girl was so excited that she needed time to prepare herself for a celebration.

"A _rocking _horse!!!" She finally screamed, and jumped around as if she had won a million Gil in a game where her chances of winning were one to infinity. Irvine lifted the horse out of the bottom half of the box and placed it in the spaciousness of the living room. Rori ran over to meet him, stepping on her tiptoes as he was setting it up. As soon as he stepped away from the horse, she climbed aboard. She felt as though it had been crafted for her. Its size was perfect. Of course, it was purposely done. It might be years until she could outgrow the horse completely; a value that Irvine prided himself on.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Rori?" Rinoa asked, smiling at the little girl who was still lost in her gift.

"Oh…" She froze trying to remember what her mother had meant, and then she brought her hands over her mouth. Rori immediately climbed off and ran to Irvine. "_Thank you_!" She said, reaching up as he slouched down and grabbed her from the floor. He smiled when she hugged him and then passed her over to Selphie's opened arms.

"You're welcome, Rori!" They said in unison, and Selphie placed her down. Afterwards, it was off to the rocking horse for Rori once again. She hopped on, rocking forward and backward while her tiny hands clung to the handles on the sides of the horse's head. Irvine had carved its mane out of wood and painted its wooden strands dark brown to match the brown and gray marbles inserted into its eye ducts. The straps across its face were painted scarlet red, complementing the ribbon that was tied into a bow at the top of its ponytail, courtesy of _Selphie_, who refused to allow the horse from her sight if it hadn't passed her _cute little pony_ test.

"It's so cute!" Rinoa said, making Selphie's day. "I can't believe you _made _that Irvine!"

"Yeah, me neither." Irvine agreed.

Selphie laughed and slapped his arm playfully, "I knew you could do it, I mean you _are _a carpenter now!"

The shy man laughed, "Just an apprentice, but only until I find something else worthwhile."

"He could probably make all of your furniture, right Squall?" Rinoa said, tapping Squall, who had zoned out long ago. He had been watching Rori, believing that she would take off into space at any second.

Realizing Rinoa had tapped his shoulder, he snapped out of his zone."…Seriously, that's pretty good work." Squall recovered, "I think it's safe to say that Rori is your biggest fan." He said, pointing to Rori who had still been in a world of her own.

"Hah, you can say that again." Irvine laughed as they all focused on her.

"Ride 'em, Cowgirl!" Selphie yelled, sending the group into laughter; all the while, Rori was so excited about her new friend that she had forgotten about everyone else. She continued to ride the horse for the rest of the party.

When the adults gathered around the dinner table, raising their champagne glasses, Rori had finally fallen out of her playful trance and watched them standing together with raised glasses. She smiled and climbed off of the horse, running toward Rinoa and Squall. Because Rinoa had been talking with Selphie, she stopped beside Squall's left leg, lifting her eyes to make contact with his when he had felt her presence near him. "Are you _toasting_?" She whispered.

He smiled gently, wondering where she had learned the word, and answered, "Yeah." As he had spoken with her, he drew in everyone's attention, and they all noticed that Rori had been free from the rocking horse's spell for the time being.

Selphie placed her glass down and scampered off into the kitchen, returning moments later with a short glass filled with grape juice. "Here you go, Rori!" She said, lowering it so Rori could run over and claim the cup as her own.

"Thank you, Sefie!" Rori said sweetly, carefully making her way back to Squall's side with the cup lifted in her hands. He laughed softly and glanced at Rinoa, where their eyes surprisingly locked almost immediately. The room around them disappeared. Rinoa smiled embarrassingly, her cheeks filling with heat; she had been caught staring at him.

At that moment, Squall's eyes had gazed over to his champagne glass. He stared into the red wine inside, seeing the sizzling bubbles soar to its surface. Although in a state of bliss, his eyes had saddened almost instantly. It hadn't occurred to him that this glass of champagne would be his first taste of alcohol in a year. He had given up the drink in order to shape up and work on himself again; improving what was broken before he could make his way into her life again.

Rinoa saw the sudden meltdown in his spirit and was about to ask what had bothered him, but Squall cleared his throat and met Selphie's eyes briskly, "…You wouldn't happen to have any more of that, would you?" He asked, referring to Rori's grape juice.

Selphie smiled and nodded her head, "I'll get it for you."

"Thanks." He responded, looking down at Rori and flashing another smile to her.

With Selphie's return, they had all toasted to each other a happy, promising future and new lives together.

Squall was disappointed to see that Rinoa's smile was not as bright as it had been moments prior to his change of drink. He hadn't meant to spoil her mood with his decision. He knew it would undoubtedly raise questions later; nevertheless, he stared at her as she, her eyes scanning the floor and waited patiently until she lifted her eyes to meet his again. He titled his head to the side, as if questioning her trouble, making her smile instead. He was relieved when she fanned her hand through the air; in which to his understanding, meant that she was fine and he had no reason to be concerned.

He had then released a tranquil sigh.

----- ------ - - - - -

"G'night, you three!" Selphie yelled from the doorstep. She saw them off while Irvine stayed inside, exhausted from their nightlong festivities. "Come back and visit us!"

"Yeah, and thanks again, Sel!" Rinoa said, holding onto Rori's hand. "Goodnight!" She said for both Squall and Rori who had looked back at the woman as though they would bid farewell too, but were too tired to do so.

"Nighty-night!" Selphie yelled in an attempt to get a response from all of them, but was met with utter silence. She realized Rori had burnt all the extra energy she had gotten from the cake during the playtime afterwards and Squall was exhausted because Rori had forced _him_ into various games involving the horse. The young woman yawned, watching the family until they crossed the street and reached the next block. After seeing them off, she closed the door.

"_Finally_…"Squall whispered, sighing in relief. _I thought that door would _never_ close._ Rinoa, realizing why he had sighed, grinned and elbowed his arm hard. "Oww…" He groaned, "I'm sorry. I _know_ she means well."

At his excuse, she smirked and said nothing in return.

Rori outstretched her free arm with a yawn, causing Rinoa to look down at her almost instantly. "…Tired, sweetie?" She asked, squeezing the girl's right hand in her left.

"A little..." She whispered, rubbing her eyes with a fragile hand.

"Come on." Rinoa said, quickly sweeping her up into her arms. Rori giggled, but was too sleepy to keep at it, and so she wrapped her arms and legs around Rinoa, and rested her face onto Rinoa's right shoulder.

Squall walked beside them carrying the wooden horse underneath his arm. He was amazed at how much the two had resembled, even though Rori had inherited his eyes and hair. Not wanting to stare, he compared from memory the similarities and differences of both Rinoa and Rori's faces. As his mind carried on, his eyes had fallen to the ground and he slid his free hand into his jacket pocket. When Rinoa noticed his peaceful silence, she brushed her arm against his and slowed her pace. Although at times it could annoy her, she loved whenever he had fallen into his own world. The mysteries his mind bade, it was all the more intriguing to her. She looked at his face once more, and saw a smile creeping across his lips. She smiled and leaned her head against his arm.

----- ------------------ --- -- --

The walk home was silent and passed by quickly. Reaching the house, Squall walked as far as the top step and set the rocking horse down onto the porch. He watched Rinoa toggle with the keys for a moment, balancing a sleeping Rori in her hold and unlocking the door at once. He had wanted to step in and take the keys from her, but realized she obviously had experience with this task, seeing as she handled it flawlessly without asking for hand. He was amazed and yet saddened somehow. Just how many times before _had_ she performed this routine alone?

Rinoa kicked the door open and turned around quickly to push her back against it, keeping the door from closing them out so soon. Momentarily, she wondered why the light was already on inside, and then remembered she had forgotten to turn it off from their leave earlier. Rinoa walked backwards into the house, smiling at Squall as she asked in a whisper, "Can you bring that inside for me, please?"

He glanced down at the horse and back to her face again, "…Sure." He answered hesitantly. _…Inside?_ He wondered:_ Only for a little while._ His eyes shimmered softly, but Rinoa hadn't noticed, instead she maintained the smile. He grinned and grabbed the horse from the porch.

Squall carried the wooden horse inside; slowly placing it to the left of the door's entryway while Rinoa had gone further inside to put Rori to bed, the girl had fallen asleep on her shoulder long ago.

He waited at the opened front door, and stared into the yellow walls of their living room. He remembered when he and Rinoa had first put up the wallpaper, when he had asked what color she wanted and she told him yellow because it was a _nice_ color. He remembered her explaining: …_It's not empty or depressing like white and it's not too lively like red or orange._ Inside, he knew the real reason. Yellow actually symbolized the sun on one fine day they both remembered; curiously the first time they had watched a sunrise _together_.

Squall moved his eyes around the walls of the room, noticing how small the place was than he remembered. Suddenly, the living room wasn't as spacious as he had remembered, and the couch was shorter, leaner than he recalled as well, even the kitchen looked smaller; however, disappointment hadn't gotten the best of him, he was grateful things weren't as he remembered. He feared remembering the exact shape of their house—the house of their past: _his_ past, only to return and find it different. Somehow finding a major difference would have carved a deep wound into his heart, and he would waste the night comparing the past to the present.

When Rinoa returned, she found Squall standing in the doorway. She could not understand why he hadn't taken another step into the house or why the door behind him was left unclosed. "Squall…?" She questioned, only to find herself embedded with silence.

She wanted to gain his attention, but soon realized he had gone aloft in his thoughts again. Rinoa inwardly sighed. Her heart ached for his response. She wanted to know what was troubling him; she wanted to understand his thoughts exactly.

_Squall...what's the matter? _Her mind cried. _…What are you waiting for?_

And then she sighed aloud, hoping to break his gaze away from the unknown figure across the room. _What is he looking at?_ She asked inwardly, following his eyes to the empty walls near the kitchen where only holes remained from pictures that hang there long ago. She remembered taking the pictures down once Rori's first birthday came around, fearing the girl would see the unfamiliar man and later grow to question who he was.

It may have been selfish at the time, but she had kept Rori away from the dead man in those photographs because she believed at that time that he was never coming back. And if Rori had known the truth beforehand, she might have felt unwanted by her own father. _What if it's about the pictures? Has he noticed that none of the pictures that remain are of him…? _The young woman brought her gaze from the wall and set her eyes upon Squall, feeling them burn with sadness. _I'm sorry, _She frowned,_ Squall, look at you…you left this place a long time ago, and now that I understand why you had to leave, I feel so ashamed… You wanted to escape the pressures of our world, I know…but you were actually trying to protect me. You wanted to protect me just like I had to protect Rori from you…_

Rinoa watched him a moment longer, noticing how his eyes grew poignant. In the midst of her inner pondering, she made a discovery. _Or maybe it's…_ She sighed inwardly. _How could I have forgotten? ...This is the first time I've let him inside of the house..._ _My God,_ _he hasn't been here in four years… _Rinoa's heart cringed in pain as she stared at him, watching as his eyes innocently explored their home.

Squall was overrun with emotions, sensations rekindling in his heart once again. The longer he had been away, the more he became cold at heart; however, the familiarities of their home, the sweet smell he remembered, its coziness, its gentleness—all those elements were what made it so special and had warmed his heart over those lost years. He missed their home terribly, but no matter how much he longed to be home, he could never deny having yearned for _Rinoa_ more.

Now he was there, standing inside of their house once again, with her. He closed his eyes, and allowed a little time to gather himself.

The brunet was lost in thought when Rinoa paced toward him. He hadn't heard her approaching. When she closed the door behind him, it startled him, and he immediately opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry…" Rinoa whispered, apologizing more out of guilt than her actions.

"…It's alright. I wasn't sure…" He said, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous hand. "...Is Rori asleep?" He asked hurriedly, finding a greater means of conversation and less of what was currently on his mind.

The young woman smiled warmly, "…Rori was sleeping before she ever touched her mattress."

He laughed inwardly, hiding behind the grin."…Well," He groaned, "That sounds like a good idea. …I'll…" He said, turning away from her abruptly and reached for the door knob, but Rinoa moved his hand away.

"Wait…" She whispered, her soft voice freezing him dead in his tracks. "I…I have something I want to show you." She said, grabbing his hand from the door and pulling him away. Squall was helpless to stop her as curiosity forced his legs to abide in her strong demand.

She led him around to the couch, pushing him onto the sofa before turning away and finding the closet beside the kitchen. There in the kitchen closet and underneath her imperishable items was a large cardboard box, in which she had removed and carried carefully in her arms. She placed the box onto the coffee table and smiled at her accomplishment, but he stared at it quizzically for a moment.

"…What is it?" He asked, sitting upright on the sofa.

Rinoa took a seat beside him, placing her hand on his thigh and grinning, "Something you hated to be a part of for a long time…and also something that I frequently did to annoy you purposely."

He shrugged his shoulders and looked over at her. "I'm not sure if I _want _to know what's inside."

She laughed and watched as he reluctantly leaned over to peel back the folds that were nestled together to keep the box's contents hidden. Who knew what Rinoa had hidden underneath? More importantly, who was she hiding it from? Rori…? …Him?

Once the final fold had been lifted, he was surprised to find a wide booklet with decorative ribbon at its front, and a small oval opening which displayed a picture of a baby. The baby had a light patch of brown hair at the top of her head, and a huge smile. Undetectable tears immediately came to his eyes, "…Is that…"

"…Rori." Rinoa answered in a whisper, sliding closer to Squall on the sofa as he dug his hands into the box, holding the photo album at its sides and lifting it out.

"Rin…you…" He muttered, touching his fingers to the baby picture, surprised even at his own reaction.

"Aren't you glad we _didn't _think alike all the time? Imagine if I weren't such a maniac about taking pictures?" She laughed, pressing her face into his forearm. Squall had averted his eyes from the picture and looked over at her. He smiled, unable to respond to her with mere words; instead, he placed a warm kiss on her forehead.

Rinoa placed her hand atop his. "There are plenty more you know." She said, releasing his hand and flipping to the official first page of the photo album.

There was an assortment of pictures of Rori, most of them taken by Rinoa, but then there were other pictures with both Rori and Rinoa that had obviously been snapped by a third party. He thought perhaps that maybe Selphie had taken them? Who else could have really been around to do so?

Before his mind could render in more ideas about the possible photographer, his eyes had found a picture of Rori wearing a yellow sunflower costume.

He blurted out a laugh and Rinoa gasped, covering his mouth with a cold hand. "Shh! Squall, she's _sleeping_!"

"Sorry." He muffled against her hand, smiling even after she uncovered his mouth. Their smiles lingered a moment after, and Rinoa cleared her throat, looking down at the photo again. His eyes had done the same.

In the photograph, Rori had to have been no younger than two. She was standing against a wall in the house with her hands to the sky, wearing a yellow, two pieced outfit, which consisted of a long-sleeve shirt and a short skirt, with a blossoming sunflower encased around her face. She had on green tights with green clown shoes that tipped like crescents at her toes. Everything about the costume was both cute and bizarre, fitting Rori's unique personality.

"Rori didn't want to take it off for the rest of the day. You know, she almost went to bed wearing it, up until the flower crown started to irritate her face. After that, I couldn't get her out of the _tub_. She wanted to bathe most of the night to get rid of the itching." Rinoa said while shaking her head with a grin, Squall laughed quietly.

"…When did she dress up like this?" He asked, bringing his eyes from the picture and gazing to Rinoa again.

"It was a few months ago when Rori was still at the nursery in downtown Balamb. Rori and other older kids at the nursery were asked to join a small kindergarten class from a school across the street to perform a play. She was among the youngest, but she kept up with the four-year-olds well." The young woman laughed, "…Not that they gave her any lines or anything much, but Rori had to stand in the back and pretend to be a flower."

"As her costume implies…" He grinned.

"Yeah, but she was the cutest one on stage! People were asking about her afterwards!" Rinoa chuckled, "They thought Rori was part of that class!"

Her fingers danced through to the next page of the album, pointing to a row of children wearing the same sunflower costume, of which Squall counted about thirteen off top. "Where is she?" He asked, and Rinoa giggled again.

"Right _there_," she said, pointing out Rori who stood in the midst of the other kids, almost indistinguishable from the others.

When he finally spotted her, he smiled. To his surprise, Rori actually _was_ the best looking sunflower of their bunch; her costume had fitted just right. "You're right." He said, moving closer to her picture. "She's the best damn sunflow—"

"_Squall! _They're _kids_! Besides…the other children are cute _too_!" Rinoa laughed, hitting his arm and facing him.

"Yeah, I know, but Rori is _ours_…" He said, losing himself inside the picture once more. Rinoa had silently agreed with him, leaning on his side as he continued his quest through the album. She watched Rori's reflection dance in his pupils.

Time had been lost since Rinoa showed him the photo-album and now she fought her sleep at his side whilst he flipped through another scrap book focusing on more baby pictures of Rori. Rinoa yawned, pressing her face into his forearm as her hands warmed the sides of her folded arms to toughen out her stay in the living room.

Squall looked down at her immediately. He hadn't realized how much time had passed. "…I'm sorry." He whispered to her, setting the photos back onto the coffee table and turning to Rinoa. He placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned onto the sofa, moving his head down to be face to face with her.

Upon opening her eyes, his face was the first things she saw. A smile spread across her lips. "You can look at the pictures for as long as you want, I don't mind…" She muttered in a voice that was barely audible.

"…I'll do that, but you've got to get into bed. You must be uncomfortable sitting there like that." He whispered to her, his eyes traveling her body at the moment.

"I'm fine, Squall. Don't worry about me." She insisted, smiling warmly and closing her eyes.

"That's it…You've force me to do it."

"To do what?" She asked, her eyes peeling open.

Without another word, he had placed an arm behind her back and the other underneath her, and as he stood, he lifted her from the couch. She would've squealed, but realized she had been too tired to rebel against his actions; instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and murmured some foreign words into his shoulder, allowing him to carry her away

Walking down the corridor and to their bedroom, Squall felt an immense familiarity flood his being. The walkway stretched farther than he remembered, almost as though he would never reach her room in time, or maybe he didn't want to bring her to the room. Maybe he wanted just to hold on to her?

Finally, he reached the last door and pushed it opened, seeing as it had already been left open since the last time she had used it. Stepping inside, his boots sunk into the soft carpeted floors. It was like taking a step onto a cloud, the puffiest cloud in the sky to be exact. _That's definitely new._ He thought to himself, before carrying Rinoa over to her bed. He laid her down first, and was about to pull the covers back, but Rinoa's arms remained around his neck. Realizing she had purposed this, he smiled and looked down into her eyes that were now upturned to his.

"After you're done with the pictures…would you lock the front door?" She asked, loosening her arms around his neck and sliding her hands down to his face. She was careful not to add on to her words, not wanting to dictate his actions with the tagalong: _on your way out._

"…Sure." He answered.

Rinoa smiled and rose to his face slowly, planting a warm kiss beside his mouth.

"Thanks." She muttered, resting her head back onto the softness of her pillow.

He grinned faintly, moving his hand to her face and sliding it over her cheek, "…You're welcome." He answered, leaving a lingering impression on her jaw before rising from the bed and leaving the room, closing the door behind.

She smiled and faced the wall of her room, wondering how long he would look upon the photographs of their past, especially if he had found the hidden stash of photos with just the two of them throughout their first year in their new home. Of course, most of those pictures consisted of his hand blocking the camera, but he was there nonetheless. There was one photo which had been her personal favorite, snapped of Squall sitting on the sofa with his nose in a book. Whenever she was lonely over the years, she would sneak into the box and dig through the layers of albums just to see that picture. He looked so warm and gentle, and mostly innocent. She admitted that he _loved_ to read, a strong trait that she had begun seeing in Rori lately. An innate attribute that suited both of them well, Rinoa concluded.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"What kind of ice cream do you want: Chocolate, Vanilla, or Strawberry?" He asked the little girl, her tongue busy licking the corner of her mouth.

"Um, _Strawberry_!" Rori sang from his side, her fingertips gripping the edge of the countertop, she was barely tall enough to see over it.

"Did you really need to ask?" Rinoa grinned, leaning onto the counter and resting her face into the palm of her hand. They were standing underneath the shade of the Ice Cream Shack on Balamb's ocean line. With the sun beaming and the sea waves carrying in wafts of air, the day was nice. He was glad he could finally find a place of rest with everyone that meant the world to him, his dear family.

Squall shrugged his shoulders and faced the employee, a younger man with _Nida _on his nametag. "Alright, we'll have one frozen yogurt—"

"Flavor?"

"Peach..." Squall answered, looking at Rinoa from the corner of his eye. He knew she would slap him if he had gotten it wrong again. "…A small strawberry cone." He heard Rori giggle. "…And a lemonade slushy…"

"That's 300 gil…"

"It's so hot out today…" Rinoa said, turning around and looking out at the ocean. "…Are you sure your little ice berg can survive out there?"

"I think you should worry about _it_ having to survive _me_ before setting sights on the sun." He answered, paying Nida and facing her with a grin.

She smiled, and pushed him playfully. "All I'm saying is that you could ask for something more than that piece of ice…"

"I prefer ice when it's hot. Besides, _everything_ melts in the sun, and _ice, _melts without the mess…like your frozen yogurt."

"Oh, _not_ the ice lecture again!" She laughed and covered her ears, and Rori copied her, laughing while covering her ears as well.

"Well _you_ brought it up this time." He said, facing the open counter with a grin.

"We can't hear you, daddy!" Rori yelled.

"So you've sided with the enemy?" He asked, looking back at Rori. "I guess that means you don't want ice cream then."

"What?" She asked, immediately dropping her hands from her ears. "No, I'm sorry! I want my cone! I'm sorry!"

"_Rori_!" Rinoa gasped, "You can't just take his side like that!"

Rori looked at both of her parents. She wanted to be on both of their sides, but reality set in. "...I really want ice cream."

Squall and Rinoa both burst out into laughter. Rinoa stooped down and took Rori's face in her hands, kissing her right cheek, "It's okay, sweetheart. We were just kidding."

"Really?" The girl smiled, even though tears had begun to weld in her eyes, "I'm not in trouble for choosing?"

"No, it was only a joke."

"It wasn't a very good one, though." Squall added, touching the top of her head. "…Why don't we—"

"Sir, your order's up!"

"…Never mind." He said, leaving them to claim their snacks at the counter. Rinoa took Rori's hand and led her to a sun-shade table, where they had taken seats and waited for Squall.

"Do you need more napkins?"

"Yes, please."

"One second." The young man said, abandoning the window to gather napkins from the side. Squall had turned around and seen Rinoa and Rori laughing together, and then she faced him. She mouthed a playful, _I love you—_

"Sir, here are your napkins."

Squall cleared his throat, facing the employee again, "...What?"

"Your napkins…"

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Squall said, grabbing the napkins from his hand and gathering each snack from the countertop. He was turning to see her face again, when Rori shrieked, "Mommy!!"

Rinoa was collapsed out on the ground, her body stiffening even as Rori tugged at her arm. His heart sank into the pit of his stomach, and he dropped everything in his hands. "Rinoa!!!" Squall yelled, running toward her and falling on his knees at her side. "Rinoa, what's wrong?!"

He placed her head into his lap and touched her cheek, "Rinoa! Come on! Tell me what's wrong!!" She had been looking into heaven, oblivious to everyone including his presence nearby. He wouldn't allow her to drift. He wouldn't lose her now. "Look at me, Rin!" He repeatedly slapped her cheek until her eyes had fallen in line with his. "Rinoa!" He cried. "Tell me what's wrong!"

She managed a faint smile, a smile that somehow relaxed his soul, and he calmed his rampant breathing. He blocked out the world around them, and stared into her eyes until they no longer dilated…until they no longer sparkled with life. He could do nothing but watch as she took her last breath. Squall saw her chest inhaling, but it never receded. She had died…

-

-

-

-

-

He rose from the sofa with a jolt, his forehead beading with cold sweat. It was dark in the living room, the door was closed, and pictures lay scattered across the coffee table in their living room. In his hand was an old picture of the two of them standing in front of the ocean, where the sun seemed to beam directly down onto them.

"…I was dreaming…it felt real…" He whispered, placing the photo onto the table.

Rinoa had curled into a ball underneath her comforter, protecting herself from the chilly air that had seeped inside due to the opened front door: however, a different type of chill passed over her body; almost as if she had been naked, stripped of her comforter, and she opened her eyes to investigate.

Before the young woman knew what to make of it, he had lifted the covers and slipped underneath, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "Squall…" She whispered, feeling her face heating up instantly. Countless nights ago she had wished that he would sneak into her room, climb into bed with her and hold her closely.

"…I thought you went _home_." She murmured, referring to his lonesome hotel room.

"Are you kidding…?" He murmured, pressing his mouth into the back of her neck. "…You _are _my home."

She shut her eyes, feeling tears sliding down from their corners and falling onto her pillow. Squall lifted his head, digging his chin between her neck and shoulder. He placed kisses on her cheek and rested his face against hers as he snuggled closely behind her. Rinoa smiled, feeling his skin grow hotter against hers, and when Squall raised his head again, she turned her face so that her mouth neared his, joining in a long, lingering kiss.

Was it _real_? She had dreamt of this happening so many times before that it became more of a nightmare. Haunting her until she would spend the rest of the night crying herself to sleep; however, with a tug on her shirt from both of his hands, Rinoa realized she hadn't fallen asleep. The strands of his hair had tickled her forehead and face. The heat of his body was more intense than she could ever imagine.

"…_Rin_…" He muttered, breaking away from their kiss. Somehow, he sounded to her as if he were afraid of something unseen. She was correct. Squall was indeed afraid. His nightmare had scared him back to reality, and back to his sense. They had lost enough time as it was, so he would no longer waste anymore time by stalling to comfort her or by engaging in anything that would further keep his time short between them.

"Squall…_stay _with me.." The urgency of her voice toiled his heart, and it began to pound profoundly within his chest. Rinoa felt his rampant heartbeat against her back, and wondered if he had been having second thoughts. She was absolutely fearful of having that close comfort taken away from her again. "…Please," She begged tenderly, instantly igniting the tingling knot that was sitting sharp in the pit of his stomach.

He dreaded hearing her voice in distress. The _sound_ of her voice could _never_ lie. He moved his hand from her body, sliding it to her face, and he placed his fingers onto her chin, pulling it toward him so he could look directly into her eyes. Rinoa allowed her body to roll over and face his where she found him shirtless and dedicated to her; however, Squall was disheartened to see that her eyes were filled with sad tears.

"…I'm not going anywhere," He answered lovingly. He would never waste time again. "You don't have to worry anymore, Rinoa… _I'm_ _here_." He murmured, pulling her into a tight embrace. Rinoa had gasped at the first moment she touched against his quivering body, closing her eyes to savor their closeness.

"_Squall…"_ She whispered his name shakily, only seconds before her mouth was devoured by his.

He rose above her and stared deep into her brown eyes for what felt like an eternity. There were no smiles exchanged; only eyes that epitomized two souls that were hungry for a tolerant love that had been waiting patiently for years before rekindled to its former glory.

Within the time span, they made love, leaving Rinoa breathless on his bare chest. She listened to his heart pounding beneath her face, and rested her palm over it, hoping to calm its rampant pace.

"…You've changed…" She murmured, smiling into his chest.

He smirked, staring at the ceiling above them, "…How so?"

"…I can't explain it really," She mumbled, raising her head from his chest to look down into his eyes. "…I mean, you're still the same man I fell in love with, but just now I…I swore you were someone else."

There were plenty of reasons he had been so passionate, and one reason was out of fear of losing her permanently.

"…Maybe I'm _not_ the same person you remember? …We're both totally different people than who we were four years ago…" He said, lifting his hand to her chin and thumbing her bottom lip. "…Take a look at us back then, Rinoa, we were kids. I hadn't realized how many things had changed until I found a picture of us from a long time ago. I saw how differently we both look today compared to that picture. Not only have we changed physically, but our mindsets are different now…and everything that had bothered me or kept me from away you before no longer concerns me now. My priority now is to be certain that you and Rori are happy, and that's it. To hell with whoever or whatever comes our way. …Back then, I had lost sight of that fact, I lost sight of you…and that's when everything went downhill. Now, I know what I need to do and I won't quit at it again."

Rinoa chuckled shakily, "Did I mention that I like this change?"

Her response forced a laugh from him as well, and she rested her face against his body listening to his laughter uproar through his chest. Although Rinoa hadn't stressed it much, she _loved_ his change. She had loved Squall Leonhart all along. She knew without a doubt that he had loved her the same; therefore, she would cling onto him and embrace everything he was, imperfect just as her, and never let go. It was at that moment that Rinoa acknowledged that their hearts had finally been healed.

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_**Once Upon an Author's Words: **_

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**_SO..._**

_**BEFORE you hit me, I want to say that I hope you've enjoyed your read. I'm swamped in studying and finals, and I didn't get to really look over the final draft. There's no time!!…I've got to pack up, get off campus, and fly home! I'm going on break for the next three to four weeks, and I didn't want you guys to wait all that time so…forgive me for dishing out this madness… I'll fix it up later...you get my drift? (where I'm going, I don't have a computer...that's why...)**_

_**So let me have it! -holds her breath- **_

_**Thank Yous: I'm really glad everyone enjoyed Ch.16! And also, the randomness of your reviews, lol, –makes a smiley face- **_

_**Amy1: --Rori runs around singing-"Coo-kies, coo-kies, every-body gets- a-share! Coo-kies, Coo-kies, thank you Amy, you really-care!" **_

_**Ayato: Thank you so much. I really do enjoy writing about Rori, and with her characters comes the gentleness of the story. She's the beacon of innocence within this story, and I'm pretty sure the two of them would never have gotten together if it weren't for her. I didn't realize Selphie and Irvine's wedding would be so much of a shocker, that's hilarious to know. Thanks again, Ayato! **_

_**Teresa: lol, Thank you! Yeah, the secret was driving ME insane too. That's why I pulled Squall the side and had little talk with him. lol Thank you for reading and enjoying this story, it really makes it all worthwhile! **_

_**XxPhoenixBladexX: I think so too. Every moment counts! I've learned that when writing this story, there is a story in every sentence, and that the characters are flexible. The situations become real when we place ourselves into their shoes, you see? Thank you so much. **_

_**RinnyLeonhart: Somehow I thought this chapter would be shorter, lol…I'm sorry, I hope it's not too long (again)! **_

_**SquallLeonhart69er: Thanks for pointing that out, I really didn't see it…how embarrassing…lol. ---and that too...lol...chapter 17!!! lol**_

_**SavannahX: A brownie! Oh wow, I think you guys are trying to fatten me up! lol! That's difficult to multitask anyway. I've tried it before, but I usually end up re-reading the same line over and over again, lol. **_

_**Blue: lol…It was not a Vegas wedding!! –hides all traces of liquor- They're young and spontaneous! Let's not pass judgment to their actions, okay? Yes, Rori-ness as usual! Sadly, Rori barely said a word in this chapter…aww… No worries, long live chapter 16! Woo! Thanks again! **_

_**Jayliyah: Yes! Now it's up to 5 votes that says there should've been a fight, lol…-An all out brawl between Seifer and Squall- If it weren't so late, I'd write Seifer into the story again and start him off with, "Hey Squall, I forgot to give you something." And then he brings his fist square into Squall's jaw. Squall, of course, is angry that this kid had the balls to stand against him, and he lunges after Seifer, bringing him to the floor and pummeling his face, letting his fist doing the talking for him. lol…wouldn't that be great? Nevertheless, little Rori is there, and now everyone is happy! Lol…Thanks Jay!!! **_

_**k-tea: Yeah, I've been trying to avoid the cliché Seifer. I mean, it's only natural that he hates Squall, but then, he's older and childish things cease to exist. Ah…I'm just glad he fits the mold! Thanks, I'm really glad you're still with me! **_

_**Okay guys, I'm being rushed out of the library!! (I need my own computer!!!) I'm glad you took the time to read, and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as well. As per usual, whenever you get the chance, let me know what you thought of it all. And no story is complete without its epilogue, so the final epilogue is on its way! (It'll be a few weeks, but hey, you've got a satisfying conclusion for now, right?) **_

_**Adieu, **_

_**StardustRay**_


	18. Finale

_Disclaimer:---Power Turns On, Spotlight illuminates.---- Oh my gosh…it's the final disclaimer…I don't know what to say, but that I hope you've all enjoyed this story as much as I have when writing it. And as per usual, I'm getting back on track with writing again, so blame me if it's cruddy. Since this is the last disclaimer I'll probably ever make, I want to give some shout outs to— Power Shuts Off---- …Crap._

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_**Damaged Hearts**_

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_**Chapter 18: Finally Marching to One Accord**_

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Looking upon his hotel room for the last time, Squall realized it truly had been a dungeon. Even with the festive decorations spread across the ceiling and the walls of the room, he saw no pleasure in his room. Its deep blue no longer held the relaxing glow he remembered when he had moved in for the first time. It was now a quartered torture chamber with a sinister aqua glow that mirrored the gloominess of the early morning's dullness; that is, a white morning sky without the sun's glare to brighten the world's surface for another day. The room was now cold and lifeless, mirroring Squall's heart of the past back when he had shut Rinoa out of his life for four years. 

Because of his past festivities, he had missed out on a life much greater than what the _world _had to offer, and in ramification of his actions, he grew evermore lonely and had begun to miss Rinoa in his heart every single day that he spent apart from her. He missed her laughter, her face, her scent, he missed that distinguishable difference between her and other females, he missed the way her eyes would squint when she was growing agitated by his alter-ego. He missed having her so close, feeling her heart beating against his chest, her warmth igniting the fire in his heart on cold nights. He missed her passion, the intensity of her desires, the fire of truth and innocence burning deep in her heart and how it had caused him to act on his own beliefs at times when nothing else seemed possible. And then, Squall sighed and closed his eyes as he fell against the door of his _dull _room, the most wonderful event of it all had taken place and he had missed out on _it_ too: it was the birth of his own daughter.

Squall felt horrible. He couldn't even begin to imagine what he had missed on Rori's birth day. It was her _birth_ firstly, a time when she had taken her first breath into the world. The brunet closed his eyes, hoping he could open them and find himself back in time, standing beside Rinoa as she lay in the delivery room birthing their beautiful daughter. He smiled, delighting in his own imagination.

Maybe those blue eyes of hers had opened for the very first time to find Rinoa looking upon her with a priceless smile. He imagined Rinoa having put forth large amounts of effort trying to give birth to the girl, sweat beading at her forehead, her face showing incalculable pains as she battled with her large, pregnant body. The young woman's labor had probably been extended because he hadn't been there to support her. Maybe her friends were at her sides, helping her to breathe correctly and giving her the support that she desperately needed. Things would have definitely happened differently if he were there to support her. She probably cried out for him, holding on to _Selphie's _hand as she pushed a new life into her world.

Squall knew he could never dare to know the amount of pain she endured no matter how many angles he had viewed. . He definitely knew he could never have survived what she had gone through unwillingly. And all the combined pain of laboring the child of a spouse that had cowered long ago— his guilt along with her pain was enough to make him feel as sick as a dog.

However, when Rori finally made it into the world, Squall imagined Rinoa's pain subsiding all at once. And at the sight of Rori's tiny newborn body, Rinoa would no longer remember the lost time between them; the pain of birth, the hours of agonizing sharpness in her belly stinging at her every so often. He smiled when thinking how Rori had come into her life, melting all her troubles away…

Maybe she stayed up late a few nights at a time rocking the baby to sleep, feeding her, changing her pampers, and whispering three simple words into her ear. He imagined Rinoa promising never to abandon the girl, not like how he had did to her, not like his disappearance to escape the pain of his world and his heart. Compared to Rinoa's _pain_, his was like the mere bite of an insect.

So there he stared into the depressing blue painted walls and the matching blue printed comforters with crème sheets folded neatly and orderly across the bed, the little bathroom that was barely enough space to breathe at all, and the so called balcony to the left of his bathroom that only gave a breathtaking view of the ocean when he had first arrived, but nothing was breathtaking without Rinoa's presence. She was the beauty of his life; in all her ways, right and wrong…he loved her. He would always love her. Nothing he did now could take away all that _unnecessary_ pain he had caused her.

The young man sighed into his room once more, and pulled the door closed with a firm hand. As he paced down the hallway and to his wing's stairs, he had found a means to smile. In that same moment, Squall promised himself one thing and one thing alone: _I can never undo what's already been done, so it's pointless to regret my mistakes. But I will spend the rest of my life making it up to her…day by day, month by month, and year by year._

With that, he strode boldly into the hall of the hotel, and made his way to the hostess's desk.

Earlier that morning, he found himself face to face with a woman so full of life that a grin danced upon her lips even as she slept. Her eyes were closed, but had worn smiles also. Even with the darkness of the morning, the lights from the street fell in and brought a gentle glow across her smooth face. Soft locks of hair fell beside her lips, and her face had been encased by the mountains of her pillow. He smiled, wanting to kiss her soft lips again; however, he wouldn't dare to draw her away from that dreamland she was in. It was hard to see her fall back under the burden of gravity once more.

He brought his hand to her face, gracefully pushing the soft bangs behind her ear as he moved his face closer to her, where he planted a soft and firm kiss beside her mouth, and he planted another at the mid of her cheek in hopes that she would remain in her dream world. He only bid she take his kiss along with her as a blessing.

Squall had taken a deep breath, readying to part with his love for a short while; only a _short _while; and as he peeled away from her and the mess of covers between them across their bed, Rinoa gently reached out and grabbed his forearm while looking upon his frame. Squall felt her soft fingers digging into his arm nervously.

Rinoa had swallowed her breath hard, remembering how he had done the same in their past, the night he had left for the brief eternity.

"…_Squall…you're leaving?" _Her voice was soft yet filled with concern.

He was about to stand from the bed, only to feel her firm touch to his arm, and he turned to face her again. The young man smiled, nodding his head slowly at her questioning. _"…There's something I need to take care of."_ He had answered in a whisper, but soon found himself being drawn back into bed by her strong demand. She forced him back with the pull of his shoulders from behind and planted a kiss between his shoulder blades while resting her face at the mid of his back. He had taken her hands from his shoulders and pulled them to his lukewarm chest as he closed his eyes, savoring every moment of their closeness again.

"_Okay…"_ She murmured against his back, her warm breath sending chills up and down his spine. Rinoa rose to her knees and leaned against him from behind, pressing her body to his back and folding her arms around his neck. She moved her mouth to his left ear as she continued in the same murmur, _"But Rori is an early riser, so you better go before she sees you." _

"_I understand."_ He answered softly, rubbing her arms that were still enwrapping his neck, _"…Rinoa, why are you holding on to me like this? You know that I'm coming back, right?"_ He had asked while opening his eyes. When feeling the pounding of her heartbeat against his back, concern grew in his voice.

"_Yeah, I know."_ She said, pressing her lips against the slick sideburn at his ear. _"…I just want to be sure that you're __**real **__this time."_

He winced at her words, realizing that with his disappearance years ago, she had had to learn to trust him all over again. His eyes fell to the soft floor of their bedroom; however, when the sound of her laughter filled the void of his ears, he had found his lost smile again. Squall loosened the grip of her hands held around his neck with the pull of her arms, and he faced her with a warm smile.

"_Then how's this?"_He whispered, scooping her body from the bed so that she rested against him in her fullness. Rinoa's face fell forward where his lips had met hers on a single whim, hungrily returning her love with immense ardor.

At the close of his new memory with Rinoa, his nerves aroused in a flutter and he reminded himself of what he had set out to do from the very beginning.

Now, making his way to the hostess's desk, Squall cleared his throat and rested his luggage beside himself on the marble floor of the hall.

"I'd like to check out." He said, rising to meet the hostess's eyes.

At the sound of his words, the hostess gasped inwardly, her face like a deer caught in headlights.

"… Check out?" The young hostess asked, hoping that her ears had deceived her. Inwardly, she hid behind a veil of sorrow, wincing silently at the thought of never seeing those beautiful eyes again.

"Yes." Squall answered casually as his eyes fell downward. He dug into his jacket pocket for his wallet, glancing up to her momentarily.

Over the past weeks, she, along with other young hostesses had begun to believe this day would never come; in fact, he had become a _favorite_ to them. They would await his gentle greetings on his way in and out of the inn every single day; it was something of a highlight in their days of work, often trading words with one another about the handsome brunet from room 201. He was legendary.

When Squall finally retracted his eyes from his jacket and flashed a friendly smile, she realized a change had taken place in him. He brought his wallet from his side and rested his palms on the desk, bearing the band of union on his wedding finger for all to see. The man was at peace with the world, floating above the world on a cloud in heaven.

He was in love.

The young hostess forced her standard employee grin and moved her eyes to the computer monitor at her desk. "Mr. Leonhart," she began, "…after the first week of your stay, the hotel took it upon itself to fund the rest of your bill, as per our complimentary deal for staying with us for so long, sir. That makes your total five hundred gil, sir." She concluded, bringing her eyes to meet his once again.

Squall laughed inwardly as he paid the hostess, who had stared into his eyes a little longer than she had meant to. He cleared his throat, breaking away from her gaze, and gathered his luggage from the freshly swept floor of the inn. "…Thank you." He said firmly, "I've really enjoyed my stay here."

"And we were glad to have you…" She smiled warmly, silently bidding him farewell. "Please, _do_ come again." She said, watching as he smiled again and made his way to the front door. Although she begged for his return, Squall had silently promised himself that he would never shelter under the roof an inn…his home now lied with Rinoa.

With that promise, he left the hotel for good.

* * *

_One Year Later_

* * *

The yellow, morning sun blared into the sky over Balamb as the warm wind carried in wafts of the ocean's salty breezes into the small town. The sky was radiant blue, courting puffy clouds that smiled upon the people of Balamb. A year had passed since the storm, and all their worries had been left behind them. Both Squall and Rinoa had promised to never bring up the past again; instead, they would use it as a lesson for their future together. 

Walking through town hand in hand with Rori, Squall witnessed the girl's mouth spread as she grinned when sightseeing the small town with her father. She was by far the most beautiful thing that had ever happened to him, aside from Rinoa. As every little child, she had grown a few inches with the change of seasons. Her growth had been captured inside a picture diary that they had begun to keep of her; a project Rinoa and Squall had come with together. Rinoa, so proud of their work, especially when she realized Squall had begun to take it so seriously. The young womanly happily set the photo album out openly on the bookshelf in their home as a show case to their guests; unbeknownst to her, Squall had taken more pleasure out of it because he was no longer the center of focus, as most of their past pictures portrayed.

Squall had never been as dedicated to something in all his life as looking out for Rinoa and Rori. He made sure to spend as much time as he possibly could with his daughter every single day. Rinoa had accused him of spoiling the girl, but he couldn't help not being involved in some type of way. He loved her so much.

It was his way of undoing the past—making up for all the lost time to Rori, hoping that when she develops into an older woman, she would always remember him as her father and not as '_Squall.'_ He was glad when the girl had finally pushed aside his first name and had begun to acknowledge him as "dad" fulltime. It had happened unexpectedly a few months after his return into Rinoa's life.

He and Rinoa had had trying times during those months and there were days when they both wondered if his returning had done any good at all. However, Squall managed to ride out the waves of trials to face them and had found resolutions to their bickering every time. He had said to himself that they would be happy, and he promised Rinoa that he would always be there for her as her husband and to Rori as her father. Squall found comfort in the capability of becoming the sole provider of their household, and if things were to keep working out for them, they would most likely never need to ask anything of Rinoa's father. Of course, Squall remembered to humble himself as well, not wanting his pride to become too big of an issue that would come between his relationship with Rinoa and her family as it had before.

They were now back in speaking terms with their parents, allowing them to know the details of their storms and the aftermath of it all; of course, Mr. Caraway and Ms. Loire were a little concerned about _Squall_ in particular, but the young man understood their concerns. Rinoa, on the other hand, turned a blind eye away from their voices. She trusted Squall in making the right decisions. Without her knowing it, Squall was encouraged by her beliefs in him, giving him strength in ways he hadn't known before, ways that kept a smile on both of their faces all the time. She gave him strength to complete every single day one step at a time.

Their lives together weren't always perfect, but Squall couldn't think of a time in his life where he had actually neared perfection like being with Rinoa and Rori. They would forever have his heart.

"Are you tired?" He asked the little girl. They had been walking through town visiting stores and picking up little things Rinoa had asked of them beforehand. In the middle of their trip, he decided to take a rest stop at Zell's shop.

"No." She muffled into her raised arm.

When they neared the shop, he reached for Rori's free hand and raised her arms to lift her over the old oil stains in the driveway. Rori laughed and urged him to raise her above the next stain too. Zell, hearing the _'commotion'_ outside of his store, emerged from the opened garage door towel drying his oily hands.

"Well if it isn't little Rori, how are ya?" He asked with a kiddy smile, slapping the dirty towel over his shoulder and outstretched his arms.

"Uncle Zell!" Rori cheered, ripping from Squall's hands to get to Zell. "Do you have the red car today?!" She asked as he picked her up from the ground and placed her at his side. Squall grinned and folded his arms.

"No, someone _just_ borrowed it, but I'll tell you what I _do_ have that's especially for you," he paused, "A new _blue_ car!" The blond snickered, making an exaggerated turn around into his auto-shop. They were discussing cars that Zell had begun to keep for renting out, as part of his glorious reinvention to fend off any competition in town. He started this routine four months after the shop across the street opened up. As fate would have it, the shop that had moved in wasn't an auto shop as he so greatly feared, but something far worse than Zell could have ever imagined. Despite his concerns, Squall and Rori were supposedly headed there to pick up something Rinoa had pre-ordered for Rori.

"It's pretty!!" Rori said, jumping down from Zell's hold and charging toward the new car that Squall had yet to see.

When Squall made his way inside after Zell, he saw her jumping up and down at its side. It was a blue convertible buggy, perfect for a small family getaway. It was something even _he _could enjoy on a hot day like this. Squall smiled when he realized how much it matched Rori's eyes as she faced him with her bright smile, a smile she had indeed inherited from Rinoa. "Daddy! Can't we _take it for a drive_?" She asked him, copying the phrase he had always used.

"_Rori…_" Squall sighed knowing that leisure time was wearing thin for them.

"Oh c'mon Squall, you _know_ you can't turn the little lady _down!_" The young blond yelled.

"I can't believe you're _encouraging_ this." The young father retorted to the mechanic, placing a sturdy hand on his hip.

"And why shouldn't I?" Zell argued, throwing his hands on his hips in mockery of Squall.

"Did you forget already?! You tried to charge me for this last time!" Squall said, gesturing his free hand toward the car; meanwhile, Rori had been flashing worried looks between the two men.

"Tch! I said I was sorry about that time, geez! You don't forget _anything_!"

"I consider it a gift, too! Perfect for moments like _these_..." Squall smirked as he looked away from Zell and down to Rori again. "…_Besides_, we don't have time for this anyway, miss" he said softly, to the little girl who had waited at the driver's side of the car. "We have an _errand _to run for your mother."

"Aww…." Rori groaned, gripping her hands at the window of the convertible. With full and sad eyes, she stared at the floor, pouting her lips outward. Rori had begun to play her cards carefully, knowing exactly how to win her father's pity and make him feel guilty about whatever was up for discussion. She would have her way somehow; however, it was always a gamble when dealing with her father. Squall hadn't always fell victim to her cute tantrums, so she had been careful not to use her tricks all the time or else she would _never_ get her way.

"I'm sorry, _Rori,_" Squall apologized, "…but we have to get back soon anyway. You _know_ that." He told her, trying to make her understand.

"Yeah, I know…" She whispered, forming her lips into a softer frown and facing him. "Well can I sit in the car then?"

He sighed and looked at Zell momentarily as if giving him his approval. Zell smiled and walked toward the car where he opened the door for Rori and outstretched his hand to help her inside. "There you go m'am. Now you can drive all you want!"

Rori took a moment first, looking toward her father to get his nod of approval also. At his assurance, she cheered and ran toward him, hugging his leg and then skipping back toward the car. She took Zell's hand and jumped inside the car. Placing her hands at the steering wheel, the young girl pretended to drive far away, even though she could barely see over the top of the wheel itself. Her body seemed to disappear in the cove of the car as the black roof shadowed the interior with as it was outstretched across its top.

Zell smirked at the little girl and closed the car door. "So where were you guys headed?" He asked, facing Squall as he dusted his hands off into the air.

Squall smiled, watching Rori pretend to drive the car away as he answered, "…Across the street."

"—To _that_ dreadful place?!" The dreadful place, to which Zell had referred, was actually the most innocent store that had managed to make a home of Balamb. It was the last store that anyone had ever thought up; the last store that would ever seek competition from Zell: a _bookstore_ dubbed "The Reading Train," complementing the trains of Balamb and other small towns near the area. Parked on the corner between other businesses and a café just a walk down the street, the bookstore was a decent fit into their community. Balamb as a whole welcomed the store excluding _Zell, _who disliked it with a deepening passion.

He had been partly embarrassed about getting so worked up over such a harmless store, an embarrassment he would least likely ever admit to himself.

Zell had given so much thought into ways of improving his own shop that he decided to go through with those plans. Somewhere amidst all of his delusions of competition, the blond realized his auto shop may have needed the changes he and Squall had proposed before.

He was also able to make a little extra money when throwing in a car renting option to his customers, and they would no longer need to rely on the means of a bus or any other methods to get around town while their cars were being operated on. As quickly as the new rentals arrived in his store, Zell found that his business began to pick up more as of late. In upcoming months, he would lay out a plan to build an additional garage and car storehouse to his shop. In the meantime, he played his luck in space by betting that a car would be borrowed by the end of the night, limiting the extra space. There were times when his goals were met, but most days he would offer Squall to test-drive the cars just as soon as he bought them and stored them, allowing the brunet to keep the car for a night as well.

He was naturally surprised that Squall had turned down the girl's chance for a joyride. Normally, whenever Squall was given a chance to test drive the cars, he would drive home and offer them a ride as well.

"…The _Reading Train_? What would you want with a place like that?!" Zell asked, scratching his head in disbelief.

"What else? Books…" Squall answered blankly. "Anyway, the store isn't that bad. You should really check it out sometime."

"They sell books about fixing cars in there! I can't be caught dead with a book like that in my hand. If people saw me reading one of those, then imagine how much business I could lose! They'll start to get that 'I can do it myself' mentality, and next thing you know, they'll be fixing their own cars! And I _really_ don't want _that!_!" He paused. "Man…Am I the only one who thinks that that store is a _disaster_ waiting to happen?!"

"Would you calm down? You're exaggerating everything," Squall grinned. "Well it's not all that bad… Customers might _want _to see you refreshing your skills by reading up on some of the auto material that's there; on the other hand, the shopkeeper is nice too. She could probably help you find a book that doesn't make it seem like you're losing your edge as a mechanic. There's really no harm in going inside…"

"_Why_ does that sound like something Rinoa would say?" Zell mumbled, facing Squall. "…I tell you what, I'll let you guys take the car out for _free _if Rinoa stops butting into my _personal _affairs!" He groaned.

Squall became silent as he smirked at his friend.

"…Wh-what?" The blond questioned, gesturing his hands in the air.

"…So you _do_ have an interest in the shopkeeper?"

"Tch! It's not like _that_, okay?!" Zell retorted. "I mean…we speak occasionally." He looked away, folding his arms. Squall covered his forehead with a hand and laughed. "What's so _funny_?" He asked the brunet.

"I don't think it's the bookstore—"

"Oh, not _you_ _too_!!" Zell screamed, trotting toward Squall and placing his hands on Squall's shoulders, "C'mon man, you're supposed to be on _my_ side here!"

"Sorry Zell, but you don't want to know what it's like to _not_ be on Rin's side."

"Arrgh, I can't believe I'm hearing _this_ from _you_, my best friend!" He retracted his hands and turned away from the brunet in a huff, "You're nothing but a family man now!"

"When are you gonna grow up?" Squall snickered.

"Can you blame me, though?" He groaned. "…You guys all got _married_ on me and it gets lonely you know…" Squall stared at him as he prattled onward. He looked back at Rori and saw as she shrugged her shoulders in the car and carried on, and then faced his attention back to Zell. "I mean, I'll always be the' single friend!'"

Finally, Squall sighed, "Zell, please keep those kind of comments to yourself. You're scaring me--us." He said, motioning his head back toward Rori.

"Ah, I'm just kidding!" The mechanic waved his hand, "…But you guys are right…she's cute, okay? So anyway, why not just take the car for a drive with Rinoa. You know?"

"…I'll think about it, although I'm sure _she_ wouldn't hesitate a second."

"Rinoa, refuse an offer like this? No way! Mother nature will frown on us if she turns _this _down."

--- --- ---

"No, no, no!" Rinoa shouted into the phone, "I can't go to Trabia with you guys, especially not _alone_!"

"_Alone?! C'mon Rinoa! Who could leave __Rori __out of the equation?!"_ Selphie squealed.

"_Irvine!_" Rinoa answered. "When Irvine invited me earlier, he invited me and just _me _to go along with you guys."

"_Oops, I guess he must've thought literally…"_ She chuckled. _"I asked him to invite you, but I didn't mean just __you,__ I meant as in __you all__. I can't believe he really invited just you," _Selphie chuckled into the phone again. _"Sometimes I don't know where his mind is…"_

"Who knows?" Rinoa smirked. "…But I'm gonna have to decline anyway. I want to do something special with Squall and Rori this weekend."

"_Well, I can't argue with that. I hope whatever it is you guys decide to do will be better than what I have to offer here! So have a great time!"_

"Yeah, you too Sel. Thanks for the invite… Maybe next time, okay?"

"_Yeah, sure! No problem!" _The young woman said gleefully. Rinoa heard a loud boisterous thump behind Selphie's voice, causing the young woman to gasp loudly into the phone immediately after. "…Uh-Oh," She said, "I've got to go! Guess who just stepped through the door----or _fell_ through the door rather?!

"Irvine…" Rinoa giggled.

"_That's right! I accidentally left a box of clothes near the doo, and Irvine just tripped over it, poor thing. Well…on the bright side it serves him right for trying to invite just one person along with us. He's got some __explaining__ to do!"_ She laughed. _"I'll talk to you later, Rin! Bye!"_

"Bye Selphie, and have fun in Trabia!"

"_You bet!"_

Just as she placed the phone onto its charger, the front door opened and Rori burst through. "Momma! Look what we got from the bookstore!" The little girl cheered, running to her mother with a large rectangular book in her hands. The book had colorful flower designs sprouted across its front cover with a few kids observing the different shapes and sizes of the flowers.

"Now that looks beautiful, Rori. Did you pick that one out?"

"No, daddy saw it first!" She said, turning to point at Squall who entered slowly, closing the door behind and wearing a faint grin. Rinoa took note of the bag with more books in his hand and smiled as Rori continued to prattle on about their well-spent afternoon, "I got the other two, though. I wanted to show you this one 'cause it's my favorite! I knew you'd like it, too!"

"Really?" Rinoa smiled, stooping down to become eye level with her enthusiastic daughter.

"Yep!"

"Oh, I'm so glad you found books that you liked and I'm glad you had fun, but I _missed_ you _sweetie_!" The girl laughed as Rinoa embraced her.

"I missed you too, ma!" Rori giggled. She was glad to receive the loving embrace by her mother. Then like a violent earthquake, she shook her way out of Rinoa's arms as Squall approached them. "Oh! Daddy, can I show her the other books?!"

"Yeah, miss. Here you go…" He said as he lifted the bag in his hold while walking to the sofa. He placed it onto the coffee table and fell back on the sofa with a light sigh. Rori had just begun to read months before, and she was slowly learning to pronounce words on her own. Squall took much pride in his daughter's advances and her accomplishments. Most of all, he enjoyed reading to her as much as listening to her read.

When he removed the books from the bag, Rinoa and Rori had taken seats on the sofa beside him. Rori sat between her parents to share the news with them both. She sorted through the books with little hands, each with eagerness.

"Oh yeah, the cat book, look at his hat momma!"She giggled, pointing at the animal on its cover. Rinoa could smile as she tossed the book on the side and reached for another, "I picked out these two, but daddy picked this—" She began, reaching between the books and picking up the unfamiliar book, "…_this_ one! And he didn't want to show me what it was when we were in the _store_!" She said, looking over her shoulder at her 'stingy' father, who had played an unfair game of keep away with her back in The Reading Train.

"I told you to wait until we got home, didn't I?" He laughed softly, coming to his own defense.

"Yeah, I know…" Rori answered softly.

"Well, we're home now. If you want to, you _can_ read it now, you know."

"_Really?_!" She asked, and he nodded his head with a smile.

"What's the title say?" Rinoa cut in and Squall smirked. He knew Rinoa had already known about this particular book.

"…Umm." Rori started, "…How to be…the… best… big sis….…Huh…?" She said, scratching the side of her face. "…Daddy…?" She was confused. Although there was an apparent question at the tip of her tongue, she couldn't form her mouth into the words.

"…How to Be the Best Big Sister…" he repeated for her softly, and smiled again. Rori looked at Rinoa with worried eyes.

"What does it mean?" She asked.

"It means," Rinoa said, "You're going to be big sister soon, and this book is going to help you be a _good_ big sister…"

"You mean…I'm gonna have a little sister?" She muffled, looking toward her mother and then to her father, who stumbled on his words.

"_Well_…" Squall whispered, still at a loss for words.

Rinoa laughed, "What your father is trying to say is, _yes_, you're either going to have a baby sister or maybe even a baby brother. But we won't know until the baby gets here… And whether it'll be a girl or a boy, we know that you'll take good care and be a great big sister, right?"

"Right!" She agreed, receiving a kiss on the tip of her nose from her mother. Turning to look at Squall again, Rori laughed furiously and pointed at him, "What's wrong with _daddy_?"

When Rinoa faced Squall, she saw that he was completely frozen in his seat, staring across the room into nothingness. The young woman smiled and embraced her little girl once more, "Don't worry; he's just living in the future….daydreaming."

Rori smirked and broke gently from her mother's embrace. "He looks stiff…" She whispered, continuing in a small voice, "I don't think he sees me."

Indeed. The brunet's eyes were glued to the sight across the room. When Rori neared him and climbed onto the sofa again to get beside him, she inched her hand to his cheek slowly, and begin in another whisper, "Dad-"

"HAH!" He yelped, causing the girl to shrivel with fright.

"Aaaaaah!" She screamed, falling back into the sofa, until her scream became a sob. He had laughed and only until he heard her crying. "Rori!" He said, his fatherly instincts forced him to scoop her up from the sofa and place her in his lap, but the girl continued to sob.

"I'm sorry!" He apologized, "Rori!"He had tried his best to calm her down, pressing her face into his shoulder while rubbing her back with his hand, "Rori…" What made it worse was that he could feel the rampant beating of her heart against him. "I didn't mean to scare you, sweetheart. I'm sorry. …Are you mad at me?"

"Yeah!" She sobbed, rubbing her face into her hands. She fell back in his arms so he could cradle her.

"How can I make it up to you then?" He asked, all the while, Rinoa had folded her arms and watched them together with a smile.

In the midst of her crying, Rori's face became straight. "Can we," She sniffled, "…take a ride in the blue car?"

"Rori!" He laughed, tickling her side softly forcing a laugh from her. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"Can we?" She begged, trying to fight against her laughter.

"Well…" He sighed, "…It's all up to your mother."

She looked at Rinoa who was still standing across the room, "…Mommy!" The girl roared, sitting upright in her father's arms. "Uncle Zell has a new car in his shop, can we please take a ride?!"

"That sounds like a good idea. I was beginning to wonder when you two would let _me_ in on the fun." She smirked, turning to Rori with a smile."Sure sweetie, we'll take a ride, but let me freshen up first, okay?" With that, the young woman exited the living room and headed for the long corridor to the master bedroom.

"Yeah!" Rori cheered, facing her father as he wiped the tears away from her eyes with a grin.

"Are you happy now?" he asked, receiving a furious nod from Rori. "So, what do you say we grab the car and come back to pick up mom?"

"Sounds like a good idea!" Rori said, copying Rinoa's reply.

"Alright!" He grinned, planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'll tell her, okay? …Rinoa!" He yelled, standing from the sofa and placing Rori on the floor, "Stay here sweetheart, and don't open the front door."

'Okay!"

"That's my girl." He said quickly as he made his way across the room and after Rinoa. "Rin!" He yelled again, reaching their room. He opened the bedroom door slowly while knocking softly, "Rinoa…?" Squall said softly, giving the door a softer push and scanning the room with his eyes.

"Oh! Sorry…" Rinoa laughed, pressing a hand to her bosom, "I guess I started to daydream too." She said, turning around to the bed and placing a shirt across its covers.

He smiled, although momentarily. He always disliked whenever she was unresponsive. "…It's alright," He lied. "I was just on my way to tell you that we're gonna go get the car first. I wouldn't want you to wait in the shop either."

"I don't mind waiting…Unless," She paused. "…Did you bring up the woman at the bookstore with him?" She asked, facing him while noticing how white his face became.

"… I had to see if it were true," He admitted.

"_Squall,_ that's not nice." She laughed, " I told you, I'll convince him to look into it more. I'm a matchmaker, so let me handle this, okay?"

"…_Right_." Squall sighed.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" She grinned, lifting an eyebrow.

"What is _what_ supposed to mean?" He inquired, looking about himself for a clue.

"That _sigh,_" She giggled, "…You don't believe me, do you?"

"I don't believe _what_?" He asked, finding his eyebrows scrunching at her questioning.

"…That I can be a _matchmaker_!" Rinoa laughed, slapping his shoulder. "May I remind you, _Squall_, we're living proof, aren't we?"

He smiled, finally catching on to her game, "Almost eight years…" He had said, moving his hands around her waist and pulling her closely against him. They had finally begun to include the years they had spent apart, realizing that they had grown closer to one another during _those_ years than they ever had in the time when they were together.

"That's right…" She smiled in agreement with Squall, resting her arms over his shoulders, "Squall…?"

"Yes, Rin?"

"You make a good dad…" The young woman whispered, watching his face fall quizzically at her words. He had opened in his mouth to speak, but she silenced him with soft fingers over his lips, "I saw the look on your face after Rori asked about the baby… I just thought you should know that as long as Rori has you now, she'll never have to wonder why you weren't here before or think anything else of you. And just as you're a wonderful father to her, you'll be a great dad to him, too." She said, moving her hand from his shoulder and reaching for his as it rested on her side. She placed their joined hands over her stomach with a smile.

"_Him_?" Squall asked, swallowing hard at the word.

"…You want it to be a boy, don't you?"

"_Rinoa_…" He said, blushing like a shy teen.

"Just say it! Nobody's here but _us_ anyway." She laughed, watching his cheeks become rosy red.

"Yes," He finally admitted. "…I hope it's a boy, but I would like having another girl too."

"Well, only time will tell."

Squall pressed his fingers into her stomach. The longer he touched her soft stomach, the more his smile became lost to a void of questions. "…Rinoa…you're amazing." He whispered, his voice unlike any Rinoa could ever respond to. Swallowing his breath, he continued, "…I don't think that I could ever live without you again."

"Squall…" She said, keeping her same warm smile, "I'll always be with you, you _know_ that."

"I know Rin…" He had brought his eyes to meet hers. "…I…I didn't want to tell you, but… about a year ago …I had this dream that something _terrible_ happened to you, and…" He muttered, looking at the floor again, "I just wouldn't know what to do without you—"

"Squall…" She frowned, moving her hand from her stomach and reached up to his face where she slid her palm underneath his brown locks and into his hair. Squall had closed his eyes at the moment her hand made contact with his face. He covered her warm hand with his, "…You're afraid?"

He opened his eyes slowly, realizing it was foolish to bring up his nightmare with her; however, he could not undo what had already been spoken, so the young man could only sigh in his sorrows.

"Squall?" Rinoa questioned, watching as he had opened his eyes.

"Coming to this room and not hearing you say anything scared me Rinoa. I can't bear to think of what I would do if I lost you. I don't like when you don't answer me right away. It's a scary thought finding you in a room, collapsed out on the floor. _Of course_ I'm afraid!"

"You won't lose me, Squall… I will always love you." She smiled and found his eyes again. "…I trust you, Squall. And I'm certain _you'll_ be able to take care of our children better than I can."

"Rinoa, don't say that!"

"Well it's true… It's not hard to see that you're Rori's favorite anyway." Rinoa said, giggling as he sighed.

"That's _not_ true! She likes us both the same."

"Okay! _Okay!_ You're right." She laughed, but silenced herself quickly, "On the other hand, if something were to happen to me…I don't want you to say things like how you can't live without me. Even if it gets rough, I want you to hang in there. Like I said, I'll always be with you. So I know you could make it. Whether you realize it or not, you're strong enough to survive Squall. Rori would need you, _he_ would need you, and I'll need you to take care of them for me because I wouldn't want anyone else to raise our children, do you understand?" She said, sliding her free hand onto his face and cupping his jaws in her palms. Her eyes were beginning to water, as had Squall's, watering at her faithful words. "But enough of this…I'm fine, really… I'm pregnant, that's all… We know the baby's heartbeat is weak, but I have faith in him."

He had taken a deep breath, never taking his eyes away from hers.

"Squall, seriously, what if that dream you had was about what happened to us before, except this time, you were in _my_ place. Think about it… If that's true, then I think you haven't forgiven yourself for what happened before. I forgave you, so why can't you forgive yourself…?"

The brunet was silent, this time he was heavy in thought. He had never in his life taken dreams seriously, but that nightmare was responsible for opening his eyes to a new reality. He realized life wouldn't wait forever for him. The only way he was able to make his way back into Rinoa's life again was when he stopped thinking about her, and actually worked up the nerve to see her again with his own eyes. Sure they had been making each day count since his return, but had he really let go of his faults?

In that moment, the brunet took a deep breath and exhaled softly as he closed his eyes once more. When he opened them this time, there was smile filling his face. "…I guess I never thought of it that way…" He whispered as his eyes softened with great relief. "Rin—"

"I know." She answered him immediately with a tight embrace. "You don't have to say another word because I already know." She laughed into his shoulder.

"Daddy, can we go now?!" Rori yelled, peaking into the room from the crack between the door and the seal.

"Oh right…Just a second…" Squall said, releasing Rinoa and facing the door. "I'm sorry, Rori. I'll be right there, okay?"

"Okay, but don't keep me waiting!" She grinned as she turned away from their door and returned to the front of the house.

Squall smiled and faced Rinoa once more, "You're freshening up, right?"

"That's the plan." She answered, tilting her head to the side with a wide grin; a habit of hers that Squall adored. He smiled and embraced her again, this time finding her lips with his and beginning a heated kiss that would surely lead to something else.

"We'll continue this later." Squall whispered as he broke away from her parted lips. He stepped back from their embrace and left from the bedroom. On his face was a confident grin, one that would never falter to the tides of the future. Squall made his way out to the living room to find the impatient Rori surprisingly waiting for him, seated on the sofa and reading from her new book. He had taken a moment to stare at her.

Watching his daughter, he realized how _right_ Rinoa had been… He said we wouldn't be able to live on if something were to happen to Rinoa, but then the same could be said of her if she had been taken away from him. Rori was a part of his life now, and he could barely remember what it had been like before she ever existed. Sure he was a little afraid of losing them, but it made their moments together even more worthwhile.

"Big sisters help mommy and daddy take care of the baby…" Rori read aloud from her book, and Squall quietly eased beside her on the sofa, scooping her up into his lap. As the girl came upon another big word, he had given her hints at how to pronounce it out correctly. _"Brothers_---!" She exclaimed, looking at her father with a wide and thankful smile.

Meanwhile Rinoa had peaked out of the room and out to the living room at her husband and daughter, realizing they had decided to wait for her instead. She watched how Rori had surrendered her book to her father, insisting that he read it for her and how he had gracefully took up her request. Now, listening to Squall read to her, Rinoa watched as Rori rested her head on his shoulder while looking at the pictures and pointing to objects that were drawn across the pages, inquiring Squall as to what was what.

Rinoa noticed how patient he had been with their daughter, diligently answering Rori's questions just as soon as she had asked. She even realized that Rori had begun to watch less television since Squall's arrival home. She was both grateful and humble for the new changes and additions he had provided for their family. There was no doubt in her mind that another child would suit them well.

The new child would be a blessing to the young couple; however, Rinoa feared for her life about the child's condition. Upon several visits to the doctor's office, they discovered unusual activity growing within Rinoa's womb. While she pretended to have optimistic energy with Squall, the young woman was slowly crumbling to pieces inside; however, despite the pressures of the baby's health, she had begun to think positively about their circumstances knowing that if she were to lose her grip, then Squall would surely follow. For the sake of her marriage to him, and for Rori, Rinoa had decided to be strong about the newest addition to their family.

Maybe she had been slipping into the depths of her heart as of late, for how could Squall have sensed a possible threat to her or the baby's life…a threat he may have been forewarned approximately a year ago? The young woman placed a worried hand over her stomach. She had been having unusual pains in her stomach all morning long. Could Squall have sensed that too?

As her mind wandered the possibilities of their future, her heart began to beat profusely in her chest. Then a surge of laughter fell in from the front of the house, Squall and Rori had obviously found something hilarious inside the book. It was at that moment when Rinoa realized hope in her situation. That no matter how high the waters became, she would have Squall to fall on. The young woman smiled, feeling her heart beginning to beat at its normal pace.

Placing a healthy hand over her womb, Rinoa smiled knowing that everything would be fine as long as she said it would be and as long as they believed it would be—_together_. Dropping her eyes to the floor of the hallway, she came across one of Rori's drawings: It was a family of three, with a little girl standing between a husband and wife. The woman had long black hair and was dressed in blue, and the man had reddish brown hair and was dressed in black, the little girl, who was most likely Rori, was dressed in green and they all had smiley faces. Underneath the drawing written in a green crayon was Rori's name and age. Rinoa opened the door all the way and reached for the drawing, picking it up slowly with a growing smile.

It had been awhile since Rori drew anything… The young woman was glad to see that _"Seifa"_ had now been replaced with her real father….Squall.

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_Somewhere in Deling City…._

Emerging from a freshly cleansed sedan was a tall blonde. Closing the door, she had looked about herself, fixing her eyeglasses correctly onto her nose before proceeding to the door of the small restaurant. An afternoon lunch would put a close to her early workday before she would head home.

Walking across the pavement, the heel of her shoe came into contact with rough ground, stabbing the concrete in the mid of a crack. She nearly lost her shoe as a result but her glasses loosened from her ears and fell from her face, falling to the ground where they almost shattered to pieces had it not been for the quick reflexes of a young man who had just been exiting the restaurant.

"Whoa…" He said with light laughter, "Here you g—" His words had fallen short when he came face to face with her.

When she looked up, she smiled and took her glasses from his hand. Being nearsighted had always been a curse. It had even begun to grow worst over the years, and now, she couldn't even make out the face of a complete stranger without the aid of her glasses. The young woman smiled, placing her glasses safely onto her eyes and ears and sighed in relief, "Thank you, I don't know what I would do without these—" She began as she faced her hero, "…Wait a minute…Don't I know you?"

"….Maybe." The blond responded casually, "…That all depends on who you know."

The young woman gasped, having only met him on a few occasions while at Rinoa's side. "…Seifer?" She whispered.

The man lifted his hands defensively, "Before you say anything else, could I at least escort you to the door? Wouldn't want me to leave so soon and have your glasses fall again, right?" He smirked, walking before her and reaching for the silver handle of the restaurant's door.

Quistis smiled and accepted his gesture. Things were sure to get very interesting for the young attorney now.

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_The End ..._

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_**Once Upon an Author's "Oh my gosh, I'm freaking out because I don't know what to say here!" lol**_

* * *

_**So I went boarder line this time, didn't I? I tried to get something out sooner, but my brain went away on holiday, so I was stuck with a blank screen for weeks and weeks and weeks—(this may take a while)—but you get the idea, right? Anyway, enough of my complaining about my procrastinati—I mean, my writer's block--- let's get on with the thank you list. makes a smiley face at the camera**_

_**A General Thank You: Thank you! ………………lol I'm just kidding! I've finished my third story, finally. I never thought I'd see this day. When I first started writing it, I thought it wouldn't do so well. It's only until I started to put my heart into each of these chapters that I realized what it had become, but I wouldn't have realized this story was great if it hadn't been for you all who read and review (most of the time ). So thank you for helping me reach my goal. The only way I was able to come out of my vacation was to actually sit down and be focused enough to actually write something down. I'm way too hard on myself, and that isn't a good method when it comes to writing…I just hope I'm not too lax when it comes to this ending. lol I know, I know---I did what I could!**_

_**About the ending…I am not a fluff author, okay?!!! Too much corniness makes me crazy…so if you have any questions, just ask me… I'll have more contact info in my profile, okay? **_

**Long overdue **_**thankyous **_**to the Chapter 17 Reviews in order:** **(Sorry guys, I was brain dry in every area.)**

_**K-Tea:**__** Awww, I didn't mean to scare anyone with the dream, I really didn't……..okay, I vas lying (haha, sounds like Odine from the game) …But at least you know it was just a dream! I promise I won't ever pull another stunt like that! Starting now!! Oh…the ending's included with the dream, so you can't yell at me and say that I broke my promise about making you scared. Haha, I'm just kidding. But just think about this, there is nothing as uncertain as the future, and it can either be scary or exciting; it's up to you to have faith and trust that things will turn out okay. And suppose it doesn't turn out fine, just ask for the strength to be able to pull through it all, you know? I hope that sounds like something…haha. Thanks for reviewing----since the Very beginning! Oh wow! **_

_**SavannahX:**__** I'm going to be rolling around like Rolly Polly! Hey don't take Rori's horse, she's gonna cry, and if she cries you're gonna have to make it up to her! And in order to make it up to her, you'll have to give HER the cake instead! So Hah!! I'm free!! (lol) Thanks Savannah, I've enjoyed your messages just as much as you've enjoyed Rori all this time! Thanks so much! **_

_**Blue:**__** There he is!! Blue you're hiding in the midst like that, I almost passed you up! (lol) I'm just kidding!! I'm so sorry! …There's another tinge of darkness here too, but it's up to you to be the optimist here! Between you and me, I really think the dream was just a dream…Squall fell asleep with a picture in his hand that looked just like his dream, mixing fiction with reality all while the guilt of his past hang on his shoulders----I'd like to think it was a dream, but I don't always agree with my writing, c'mon, you should know that about me by now, haha. Thanks again, Blue. **_

_**Teresa:**__** Long live Rori! I made sure to add extra Rori-ness just for you, haha. I know you adore the little girl, and if she were real, I'd let you adopt her! Haha. Thanks Teresa, I was able to keep writing because of your honesty. I hope to hear something from you soon, and please, by all means, drop me a pm sometime. **_

_**Optical Goddess:**__** You know, I really don't know if he locked the door!!! I hadn't even thought about it until just now! Haha… Yeah, there would have to be a good reason to just kill of the main heroine…I still couldn't do it, though. Some people are dramatic like that, thankfully I'm not. (lol) Thanks for reading and reviewing, I was so surprised when you first did, too!**_

_**Jayliyah!!!!:**__** (lol!) Thank you, I know. I think the second half of this chapter is what really made it what it was…especially the house. I couldn't make Squall just walk in and take a seat. It was like homecoming for him, and he had to take it all in. I'm so glad I was able to give some type of impression as to what type of feelings might have been coursing through his being at the moment. Hah…About the ending, yeah…I was debating whether to have them wait and not do anything at all, have them wait until Rori fell asleep, or…I would've let Rinoa jump all over him, but you know how we girls dream, lol. So, even as the ending didn't come so soon, I hope it's still enjoyable as any other chapter. I know the writing at the beginning is a little off, but I wrote it months ago… Isn't that ridiculous? Thanks again girl!**_

_**AlessiaHeartilly:**__** In my opinion, there's nothing sweeter than watching a man spend time with his children, especially his daughter. Recently my brother was blessed with a baby girl and he is so cute with her! I guess I can say that some of that was what inspired me to continue and to make Squall so affectionate with Rori. And because Squall is such a klutz with romantic or personal things (in the game and the story), I believe that if he were to ever have a kid, that his kids would bring out the passionate side of him(besides his love interest, which is most likely Rinoa forever, hehe. Squinoa all the way!). Haha, Yeah, Rori is quite smart, I know…but I wouldn't have her do anything I think she wouldn't be able to do. Like I said, my niece was talking well at three and she was getting smarter every day. I was careful to place Rori in front of the television a lot…perhaps she picked up a few other useful or useless (like toasting!) information tips from tv? You never know, hehe. That's why it's imperative that parents get involved with their kid's lives and not have the television replace them. Rinoa also liked that Squall read to her more…perhaps she didn't have much time to do anything with Rori, you know? Haha, I don't know…I like to think there's more to it than that, that's all. Thank you for the wonderful review, and I'm so glad you enjoyed your read. **_

_**DarkFlames:**__** Cookies!! Cakes!! I'll look like StayPuft from Ghost Busters if you guys don't quit feeding me! Lol. Thanks again!**_

_**Woven Bamboo Pattern: **__**Thanks 17x. I know the update isn't soon, but I do hope you liked it too. 1, Thanks, I hope it wasn't too shabby. 2, Yeah, a reunion between a broken couple isn't always pretty, hehe. 3, Denial is a cruel thing, because the person in denial is always so delusional too! 4, I know, I don't like divorces either…unless the situation is critical such as someone's life being in danger, so in that case, yes, a divorce is necessary. 5, Yeah, it's so angst sometimes…I didn't know it would be so dramatic either. 6, Oh geez, I need to look at this chapter again, I don't know what happened there! Haha! 7, Yeah, it was bad. 8, Even terrible—a wound worsens before it gets better. 9, I loved that chapter, it was a breakthrough at the least. 10, haha, Seifer's not that bad, is he? 11, Squally always is!! 12, Hey!? 13, yeah…from this chapter to about the 15 is in the dark ages, haha. 17, Here we go! Thank you so much!!!!**_

_**Almostpoeticgrl:**__** Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if they haven't been nominated/awarded as the cutest video game couple ever. It's so hard not to resist them, you know? Normally, I'm not really one to have them having kids, but it was essential to the storyline, and so I'm just glad little Rori fits the mold. Yay for Rori!**_

_**RinnyLeonhart:**__** Now it's the end! But don't worry----Any Squinoa fan can basically guess what happens after The End, right? I'm so glad you like this story, and that you actually appreciate its length too! That makes me happy! (If the ending sucks, just pretend you didn't read it, lol…I'm just kidding! ) **_

_**Leonhartilly**__**: Hey, I hope your exams went well…. I just realized the date since my last update, oh my gosh! It's been too long. Thank you! Personally your stories are much better. I get frustrated with fluffy things too fast, that's why I leaned more on the dramatic side of this romance in particular. Hah, You left some X's and O's, oh you're so sweeeeet! Thanks again leonhartilly, it was a pleasure!**_

_**Ayato:**__** Wooooooo! I'm just glad that it's over with now. You don't know how much discipline I had to take in order to write this chapter out. Hmmm…it may have even whipped me into shape to tackle Eternal Breath again---luckily, I have a little help with that one! Yeah, Squall's dream was really bizarre, and I can't say if it's foreshadow or what have you, but it's up to you to make what you want of it. I'll just say this, I can be harsh to the characters at times, but even I (as non-fluffly as I am) like happy endings too. No worries, part of me being a non-fluffy author requires that I'm not racy with love scenes…actually, I prefer not to have them, but sometimes it reaches that point in the story---which usually involves me writing about two or three lines to sum up the evening, haha. I'd like it to be romantic, but the most romantic thing about romance is not seeing things with your eyes, it's about emotions…many people miss that mark (Not saying that I have a full understanding of it myself). Thank you once again Ayato! Since when have you authored 3 stories!!!!!? You'll be hearing from me again soon, I must take a look-see! Hehe! **_

_**Last update: 12/14/06 December? Oh wow… I'm so sorry you guys…it's already July!!!**_

_**If you feel up to it, let me know what you thought of this chapter! Was it Terrible, bad, okay, good, great, or Terrific: I'm all ears and eyes!**_

_**Courtsies Thank you, it was a pleasure guys! Hopefully, it was satisfying and enjoying at the most…but it was an ending after all…and don't worry, I'm sure nothing too drastic has happened to our lovely couple. Now, let's let Rori rest, she's earned her sleep. Don't you agree? **_

_**StardustRay- 7/10/07**_


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